Don’t bathe in the glory of your progress. That’s Jeff Lebby through and through. Two weeks out from Mississippi State’s season opener at Southern Miss, the Bulldogs were back on the turf at Davis Wade Stadium for their second scrimmage of fall practice. Practices remained closed to the public, keeping fans and media away, but the intensity inside the stadium was unmistakable. As pads popped and whistles blew, every rep mattered. Every tackle, every throw and sprint is a step closer to being ready for the real thing. And the HC is putting complacency at bay.
Mississippi State Football’s official X account captured that intensity on August 17, sharing Jeff Lebby’s perspective on the Bulldogs’ progress. “You do [see progression] with a bunch of the guys,” he told the media. “Sitting in the chair I am sitting in, you want more. You constantly want more. That is never going to change. We’re going to stress [progressing] regardless of who is out there, whether it’s the ones, the twos, the threes or whoever it is.” While the progress is encouraging, the HC made it clear that there’s no room for complacency.
What @Coach_Leb Took Away From State’s Second Scrimmage
: https://t.co/RQLTUhyOyx#HailState
— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) August 17, 2025
Jeff Lebby acknowledged both growth and the work ahead. “There’s been this great amount of growth for a bunch of guys, and there’s a bunch of guys that have to get a heck of a lot better. That’s where the strain is,” he said. “I think that is part of coaching, part of leading and trying to find ways to get the most out of them every single day and get these guys where they need to be.” That classic Lebby tone rang through. Praising development while demanding sharper edges. Because good enough in camp doesn’t cut it when kickoff in Hattiesburg is just around the corner. So where exactly did the Bulldogs show strides? Let’s start on defense.
A week ago, Mississippi State’s defense stole the show with turnovers and physicality. This time, they doubled down. “Defensively, we had some great energy and made some huge plays in some short-yardage situations,” Jeff Lebby said. That gave them the opportunity to get off the field to end a couple of drives. “That created real momentum and once again, I thought that was great to see.” That’s music to Bulldog fans’ ears. This is a unit that surrendered an SEC-worst 34.1 points per game last fall. If scrimmage hype is even half real, the defense is already rewriting the script. “The mentality and the edge right now, I am proud of where our guys are, defensively,” he added. But don’t think that the offense walked off the field empty-handed because the HC had plenty to say about how they responded.
Jeff Lebby feels equally optimistic about his offense
When asked about the offense, Jeff Lebby circled back to accountability. Last week’s missteps weren’t going unnoticed. RBs Davon Booth, Fluff Bothwell, Kolin Wilson, and Johnnie Daniels all delivered solid production. QB Blake Shapen managed the game well, while backups Luke Kromenhoek and KaMario Taylor showed poise in limited reps. “It’s all about the ball and taking care of the rock,” he said. “Those guys did that today.” The only negative he mentioned was a fumbled exchange, a reminder that perfection is a work in progress. “We had one fumble on an exchange where there was an issue,” he said. “Outside of that we were much cleaner, which we needed to be.”
Considering how critical Jeff Lebby was of turnovers after the first scrimmage, Saturday felt like a meaningful step forward. And he’s that serious because he could be under watchful eyes should things go awry. With the scrimmage in the books, Mississippi State shifts toward Southern Miss prep. The tone changes, the focus sharpens, and roles begin to solidify. “[Sunday] will really be a day when we are in the office to dial in on depth charts,” Lebby said. “There’s going to be great competition as we move through next week.”
Business is officially picking up. Players’ roles will be defined, special teams assignments locked in, and scout work introduced. In other words, the countdown clock just got a little louder. And if you ask Jeff Lebby, the Bulldogs are inching closer but he’ll still say it, they’ve got to want more. Because there’s no room for any missteps as the fan base is already stirred.
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