Everything head coach Jeff Lebby said during Monday's press conference

Fresh off a bye week, Mississippi State (4-2) returned to the practice fields on Monday morning at the Seal Complex. Later in the morning, head coach Jeff Lebby held his weekly press conference to preview Saturday’s trip to Florida:

Q: How did you feel about the energy of the team today coming off the bye week?
Lebby: Energy was great this morning. Last night we had a quick team meal as guys got back into town and that was really good. I think this break for us was right on time. I know it was much-needed from a health standpoint and six straight with the schedule that we’ve played. Our guys needed the ability to just kind of go be normal for a day or two. You could tell it in their bounce and their step this morning. A ton of excitement, great intent. We know we have a great challenge ahead of us, but excited about it.

Q: What challenges will Florida present?
Lebby: Defensively, they’ve played great team defense. They got a roster full of very talented players at all three levels of the defense. We’re going to have to do a great job of winning matchups. We’re going to have to do a great job of keeping Blake (Shapen) clean. That’s obviously been a theme. I like where we are from a game-plan standpoint. Then for them, offensively, it’s all going to go through DJ (Lagway). When he’s played really well, they’ve been really good offensively. For us, it’s to find ways to create some negative plays, try to get them into some down and distances that aren’t comfortable for them. I think our first and second down defense will be a huge part in giving us a chance to win.

Q: How did the bye week allow you to address the offensive issues?
Lebby: The continued development of that group. When you look at it and we step back, we haven’t played the way we need to go play. But also understanding whether it’s Jayvin (James) or Zack (Owens), Canon Boone moving to center about five days into fall camp. We’ve played a lot of different guys at a lot of different spots. Hopefully, we have the ability to get Albert (Reese) back. We’re not there yet but that’s the hope. That group has to keep developing. We knew that was going to be a challenge. We’ve got to go play better. I’ve got to continue to help those guys and find ways to create some layups. It was a great open date for those guys.

Q: How do you improve the pass protection and how much do you think Florida will challenge that?
Lebby: Piggybacking off what I just talked about. The development in the off-week and having the ability to coach those guys in the meeting room and on the practice field and getting better. That’s the reality. There’s not going to be these new perfect, crazy schemes that will all of a sudden give us the ability to go hold the ball for five seconds. It’s fundamentally playing cleaner, having great confidence in our fundamentals, and then being able to go execute that way.

Q: Ayden Williams has increased his reps the last two weeks. What have you seen from him lately?
Lebby: He’s created a ton of consistency in his preparation. When he’s had opportunities inside of games he’s made plays. I think that’s because he’s healthier now than he’s been all year. He had two really full weeks of practice that was giving him a chance to go play the way he played. So he’s created a lot of consistency, a lot of trust. The fact that we can roll him and J Mo (Jordan Mosley) will be huge for us. Proud of Ayden and how he’s stuck to it.

Q: Who are some of the guys that have stepped up in that captain’s role with Isaac Smith out?
Lebby: Tony Mitchell played incredibly hard. He played with great physicality. For playing so little up to that point, for him to go into that setting and go play a really good brand of football. Far from perfect but that was huge for us to see. I thought we had guys up front do a really nice job of not staying blocked, being able to shed and get off things, and make the offense earn it. The first eight drives the way we played was winning football. Having the ability to go finish is a huge piece of that as we got into the open date and get ready for this Saturday.

Q: Any updates on Isaac and Albert?
Lebby: Both of those guys were not full-go today. Our hope is that they have the ability to get a full Wednesday practice under their belt. If they are not able to, then to me it’s going to be really hard with us just being in sweats Thursday and fast Friday leading up to game day. Those guys are better today than they were last Monday but we’re not there yet.

Q: How good of shape is Brenen Thompson in now?
Lebby: Brenen’s in a great spot physically right now. What I’m proud of Brenen for is throughout the flow of the game, there were some opportunities where he was incredibly open. There is zero frustration. He is upset or disappointed that he can’t help the team in those situations. But the kind of team player he is, his energy on the sidelines, staying incredibly calm when he’s not able to take advantage of some of those things that were going on during the course of the game. That is being a pro and being a great teammate. That is probably what I’m most proud of him for.

Q: How would you characterize your expectations for the team at this point and where you thought this team would be?
Lebby: I think our best football is still ahead of us. I’m not surprised at all with how we were able to start. Frustrated at the last two and how they went. But I think our guys are serious about being great. They’re serious about being able to go take advantage of a huge opportunity Saturday at 3:15. We need to go win on the road in this league and that is something we have out ahead of us.

Q: How different will this December be from a recruiting calendar standpoint compared to previous year?
Lebby: It’s going to be a lot different. I think for us, being in a bowl game and having the ability to practice the month of December will be great for our guys on campus, keeping guys incredibly engaged. I think there is great development that has the ability to happen in that month through those practices, especially for the young players on your team. But it’s going to be completely different from what it’s been. There is constant conversation with me and Marc (Votteler) trying to figure out the best way to go attack every bit of it. But this will be the first year the calendar plays out this way.

Q: Any updates on Fluff Bothwell?
Lebby: No, Fluff is doubtful for this week. For him, it’s going to be getting better every single day. Incredibly encouraged with how things have gone up until this point. He’s done everything he possibly can to get himself ready. But we’ll wait and see on that.

Q: What’s the next goal for this team and how do you reach that goal?
Lebby: We’re trying to get postseason eligible as fast as we possibly can. That’s the next step. So it means finding a way to go 1-0 on Saturday to give us the ability to go take that next step. Our guys understand that. As soon as possible for us is huge.

Q: This team and Florida have had success scoring on the first drive this season. What plays into that?
Lebby: For us, having the ability to go execute at a pretty high clip has been good. Didn’t happen last week. We had a sack on second play of the game that put us behind the chains and in a bad situation. But for us, we’re going to need to start fast on Saturday. That is a huge piece of it.

Q: How much do you have to account for Lagway running when things break down?
Lebby: He is going to be a guy who can extend and create and go make plays with his feet. But ultimately he does. He wants to scramble and still keep his eyes down the field to be able to make plays in the throw game. We have to do a great job of bottling him up. Our first and second down defense is going to be critical to us having a great day, defensively.

Q: What do you think has led to the defensive improvements this year?
Lebby: We’ve talked about it a ton. I think the first thing, obviously from a roster standpoint, is in a completely different place from where we were a year ago today with some of the guys we were able to sign. Then I think the guys who are playing at a high level for us that are returners for us. They’re in Year 2 in the system. I don’t think people don’t understand how big a deal that is. The way Nic Mitch (Mitchell) has played, a guy like Zakari Tillman playing the way he’s played. A guy like Brylo (Brylan Lanier) and how he’s played, Kelley Jones, the names go on and on of guys who played inside the system last year that are now in Year 2. That’s what development is, that’s what coaching is. For our guys, we’ve got to keep building on that and that will be critical for us.