Mississippi State's Jeff Lebby Praises Ole Miss Football Before 'Huge' Egg Bowl

Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby had some high praise for the Ole Miss Rebels ahead of his return to Oxford on Friday.

Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby during a college football game between Tennessee and Mississippi State at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. / Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This year's Egg Bowl between Ole Miss and Mississippi State may look a little different than past matchups, but there is still a lot at stake for both teams. Just ask Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby.

Lebby previously served as Ole Miss' offensive coordinator on Lane Kiffin's staff, piloting that side of the ball in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Now, he is set to return to Oxford as the head coach of the Rebels' in-state rival.

Lebby's Bulldogs have not enjoyed a solid year. They are 2-9 overall with no SEC wins, and their lone victories have come over Massachusetts and FCS Eastern Kentucky. Still, this is a big game in the state of Mississippi, and he heaped some praise on Ole Miss this week while also ensuring that his team is prepared for what this rivalry means.

"I think, for me, there's just great understanding that this game is a huge deal," Lebby said. "Knowing what it means to our fan base, to our university, to our community in Starkville, it's a big deal, from a recruiting standpoint and how we recruit against each other inside this state. Friday afternoon, we've got a ton to play for. Need to go be at our best."

State has not had an easy road in conference play, facing the likes of Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri and others this fall. But Lebby thinks Ole Miss jumps off the page in terms of talent on the field, especially on defense.

It will be critical, in his eyes, to give freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren time to throw on Friday.

"You watch the tape, I don't think there's a question about it: the most talented roster we will have played all season long," Lebby said. "You know exactly what it is from a personnel standpoint. We've got to find ways to finish in a great body position and strain and fight like heck to create air in the run game.

"We've got to be able to give Mike just enough time with some different things from a protection standpoint that give us a chance to go throw and catch."

Throughout the history of the Egg Bowl (an all-time series that Ole Miss leads 65-46-6), there have been different approaches from head coaches in both Oxford and Starkville in preparation for this game. Some make it out to be the biggest game in the regular season while others treat it like any other week.

For Lebby, it sounds like it's somewhere in the middle. He knows how important this matchup is for both Ole Miss and Mississippi State fans each year, but the preparation is largely the same.

"The day-to-day and how we practice, how we do what we do from a meeting standpoint, it is the exact same," Lebby said. "But I do want our guys to have a heightened awareness and understanding of what this game means and that it is a huge rivalry. ... I don't take that lightly or take it for granted. I think it's important that our guys understand that and they understand the history of it."

Ole Miss is heavily-favored in this week's game according to Vegas, but after laying a proverbial egg last week against Florida, the Rebels will need to bounce back and bring their A-game in order to win the Golden Egg Trophy for the fourth time in the last five years.

Kickoff on Friday between the Rebels and Bulldogs is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, and the game will be televised on ABC.