Cowbell Corner

What Jeff Lebby Said About Florida and The Toledo Loss: Mississippi State Football

Jeff Lebby recaps the loss to Toledo and the upcoming matchup with Florida.

Jacob Bain

Sep 14, 2024; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby walks onto the field during a time out during the second quarter of the game against the Toledo Rockets at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images
Sep 14, 2024; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby walks onto the field during a time out during the second quarter of the game against the Toledo Rockets at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images / Matt Bush-Imagn Images
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Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby spoke today at his weekly press conference and made some interesting comments. It has been a tough two weeks for Mississippi State, with a close loss to Arizona State and a blowout loss to Toledo.

It was a disappointing loss to Toledo, and Mississippi State did not play well, but small mistakes from the Bulldogs made matters worse.

Jeff Lebby on the Toledo Loss

"Both sides of the ball had self-inflicted wounds and were not able to get out of our own way sometimes," Lebby said. "That was probably the most disappointing thing."

However, Mississippi State must regroup quickly, as Florida is coming to Davis Wade Stadium this weekend. The confidence among the Mississippi State players has to be shaken after a second straight loss, but that must change.

Jeff Lebby on Learning from the Past

"We will not dwell on the past but instead learn from it," Lebby said. "Our guys understand that we have good football players, and having self-belief when things are not going right is something that needs to start showing up."

Florida has also had a fair amount of struggles under third-year head coach Billy Napier. Napier and the Gators have a 1-2 record, with home losses to Miami and Texas A&M.

Jeff Lebby on Florida

They are a really talented team on both sides of the ball," Lebby said. "They have struggled, and we have too, but it is a football team that has a bunch of talent."

Despite the challenges, the Gators have a talented team that could cause trouble for the Bulldogs. Both Florida and Mississippi State have struggled this season, and the focus for Lebby is cleaning up his team's own mistakes.

Jeff Lebby on Focusing on His Team

"Our focus is 100 percent on us, cleaning up the things that we can and controlling what we can control," Lebby said. "It is about Mississippi State more now than ever."

The outside perspective of this Mississippi State football program is bleak. Fans and media can be skeptical of a program, but it is imperative that the team not let outside noise affect their preparation.

Mississippi State can beat this broken-down Florida team, but mistakes will have to be cleaned up before that happens.

Jeff Lebby on What His Team Needs to Improve and Its Mentality

"We have to start better, faster, and take negative plays and penalties out," Lebby said. "Our guys will be an energic and confident group on Saturday morning."


Read More Mississippi State Bulldogs on SI:

Mississippi State Falls to Toledo: What Went Right For the Bulldogs?

SEC College Football Power Rankings: Who's Rising and Falling After Week 3?

Mississippi State Suffers Worst Defeat in 20 Years Against Toledo

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Jacob Bain
JACOB BAIN

Jacob Bain first joined Cowbell Corner as an intern, and was promoted to lead day-to-day coverage in Starkville of Mississippi State sports in 2023. His primary beats include football, baseball and basketball. He's originally from Fulton, Miss.

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