Jeff Lebby Speaks on Florida Loss, Injuries, Quarterback Situation, and Texas Preview

Mississippi State head coach recaps a tough week at home and first SEC road trip of the season.

Jacob Bain | Sep 23, 2024

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 Bulldogs

Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby spoke to the media today and had plenty to discuss. Mississippi State suffered critical injuries this weekend. Quarterback Blake Shapen will miss the rest of the season, but safety Issac Smith and running Keyvone Lee also had injuries.

Jeff Lebby on Blake Shapen

"i have talked to him a ton,” Lebby said. “He is an elite young man who pulled into the office early this morning and is coaching guys up on the field in a sling. I could not be more proud of him.”

Jeff Lebby on Issac Smith

"No update on Issac. We will know more about him as we get closer,” Lebby said.

Jeff Lebby on Keyvone Lee

“We are going to miss Keyvone for a while; it is not just a week-by-week deal,” Lebby said.

With Shapen missing the rest of the season, Mississippi State will either start sophomore Chris Parson or freshman Michael Van Buren. Lebby shed some light on which quarterback will get the start in Austin.

Jeff Lebby on Who Will Start at Quarterback

“Both guys (Parson and Van Buren) will be a big part of the competition,” Lebby said. “But Mike (Van Buren) will trot out there first. I was proud of how he played and put a drive together in the fourth quarter.”

Van Buren committed to Mississippi State shortly after Lebby arrived, so it is clear that the first-year head coach was impressed by his play. However, it is a tough spot for a true freshman to make his first start on the road against the number-one team in the country.

Jeff Lebby on Preparing Michael Van Buren

“You get him to focus small,” Lebby said. “You find ways to put him in a good spot for success. We have to find a way to build off the run game we had last week.”

Mississippi State did find some success in the run game against Florida, rushing for 240 yards. The running game was a real struggle for Mississippi State during the first three weeks, but the group improved throughout the week before playing Florida.

“I thought we were better fundamentally,” Lebby said. “I felt really good about it going into the game because of the week those guys had in practice fundamentally.”

The defense once again struggled for Mississippi State, allowing over 500 total yards last week. Minor issues continue to linger with that unit.

Jeff Lebby on the Mississippi State Defense

“I see guys are playing incredibly hard, but we have to find ways to play cleaner,” Lebby said. “We have to find ways to focus incredibly small and make sure we do a good job of coaching those things the right ways.”

Texas will be an incredibly tough test for Mississippi State this weekend. The Longhorns have bullied every team they have played so far.

Jeff Lebby on Texas

“They have been incredibly dominant in all three phases,” Lebby said. “Defensively, they are as good as there is in the country, and the offense has a tremendous amount of skill, and they play really good up front.”