Everything head coach Jeff Lebby said in Sunday's press conference

It is officially Egg Bowl week inside the Magnolia State as Mississippi State and Ole Miss prep this week for Friday’s matchup. On Sunday afternoon, head coach Jeff Lebby met with the media to discuss the Rebels among other topics:

Q: Coming off the bye week, how do you feel about your team heading into game week?
Lebby: I think we got a great jump on the opponent. Our guys were really good inside the building. We got on the field like we had talked about on Wednesday. We had a no-sweat Thursday and being able to get a ton of our game plan in, which I think we huge that way. As our guys were able to get away, they still had the installs to circle back to it and were away for a day and a half.

As we got in the building this morning, there was great urgency, great awareness of what is in front of us and excited to attack Friday morning at 11.

Q: How much have your veteran guys talked to others about the importance of the Egg Bowl?
Lebby: We have a bunch of staff members that played here and played inside this game, understand what it’s about. I think the more you can talk about that part of it and guys that have come before and played in between the white lines in this game, they have the ability to communicate to our guys that haven’t been here long and don’t know the history as some of the others. I think it’s great for our entire football team to understand the urgency of what’s at stake.

You see the guys that are from this state and have played in this game, there’s great pride in how we do what we go do on Friday.

Q: Compared to last year, how different is it with this team having more to play for this year?
Lebby: I think our guys understand we have a ton to play for. We got a ton out in front of us. We have the opportunity to hit two huge goals for us as a program in Year 2. It’s exciting for us. Our guys understand what’s at stake. It’s about us maximizing every day from a preparation standpoint to give ourselves a chance to be able to go 1-0 on Friday morning in a huge game with a great atmosphere and a lot at stake.

Q: Your thoughts on the Ole Miss defense and how much do you think they will key on the run game?
Lebby: They have definitely gotten better as the year has gone on. It’s a group that has been really good situationally, been great on third down and getting off the field. Us finding ways to run the football enough and be effective in the run game to give us good situations will be key. Us taking great care of the football will be key. But I would think as they sit there, they’re probably going to try like heck to limit the explosives in the throw game and run game.

Q: What does the Egg Bowl mean to you personally?
Lebby: For me, this year there’s a ton to play for. Getting bowl eligible, but the rivalry to our fan base, our community, our university, our program, understanding there is a lot that goes into this for a calendar year, understanding the momentum it gives us the ability to create from a recruiting standpoint. I think that’s a huge thing. Those are the things we’re constantly looking at and talking about and understanding. Find a way to be 1-0 this Friday. It’s going to mean a lot to our program, university and community.

Q: Was there anything you learned about the Egg Bowl last year that you didn’t realize going in?
Lebby: I think as I went into it, I had a pretty good understanding and idea of what it was going to be. Being on the other side of it, having lived the game before, there was some awareness of what we were getting into. For us, today was obviously a Monday. Tomorrow turns into a Tuesday and so on and so forth as we get ready for Friday morning.

Q: What are your thoughts on Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambless?
Lebby: The guy just makes a ton of timely plays. He can extend, he can create. He does things in the run game that make it hard for you, and then the way he’s been able to throw the football around and make the plays when he’s needed to is impressive for a guy that got there so late and has never played in this league. He belongs. He’s been a big-time player and has given them the ability to have the season that they are having.

Q: How do you go about trying to slow down the run game of Ole Miss?
Lebby: I talked about it a little last week. They have played with really good balance. Their run game right now is as good as it’s been all year long. The back is a guy who can create a ton of explosives with great top-end speed. The QB being involved in the run game makes it tougher. For us, I talked about this a little last week, too. We have to tackle really well. When we get in one-on-one situations, we got to find ways to get guys on the ground. We got to get 11 hats to the football. That for us will be where it starts from a tackling standpoint and it is going to be a huge piece of it on Friday morning.

Q: How beneficial will it be for the program in recruiting to win on Friday?
Lebby: I don’t think you can measure it. I really don’t. It’s a huge deal for us. As we continue to build this the way I want to give us the ability to sustain, it’s a huge deal to find a way to go 1-0. Talked about it earlier, there will be a great momentum that will come with that. I want our fans to be incredibly proud about having the ability to be 1-0 on Friday.

Q: Any injury updates on Brenen Thompson and Isaac Smith?
Lebby: I do not. We’ll let the injury report speak to it.

Q: Since returning from injury, how do you feel Fluff Bothwell has been performing?
Lebby: For him, I think today he’s felt the best he’s felt in a long time. Last week was huge for him, to be able to take a few days off after being banged up again coming out of the game against Missouri. He feels good, had a really good day today, and he will be a huge part of it for us Friday.

Q: Obviously a lot can change between now and the portal opening up. But as of today, what are your top priorities on paper entering the portal window?
Lebby: When you look at us defensively, obviously the safety position with those three guys being seniors and not being back with J-Man (Jahron Manning), Brylo (Brylan Lanier) and Hunt (Hunter Washington), guys that have played almost every snap for us this year. So that will be a big piece of it. The D line, without a doubt, having the ability to add some great pieces on our edges will be really important, losing both jacks in (Malick Sanders and Branden Jennings), and then a couple of guys inside. So that’s where it’s at, defensively.

Offensively when you look at it, it’s going to be about the offensive line. It’s going to be about finding starters that can come in here and have this great impact, guys that have played inside this league and have had real success. I think that’s where the stress is for us offensively. I think we’ve got some really good young players, but that’s where we got to be able to go attack and get what we need.

Q: It is also Senior Day on Friday. How do you manage that aspect of it?
Lebby: Friday morning is about being 1-0. We’re going to go through senior day in pregame. I never ever want to minimize what our group of seniors have meant to us and to this football team and this program as we are building this thing. There’s a bunch of guys who have been here and there’s plenty of guys who haven’t been here very long. So for those guys being able to finish the right way is critical. Give those guys an opportunity to have a happy locker room, to get that Golden Egg back in Starkvegas, and being able to keep it here would be really special for a lot of reasons with those seniors being one of them.

Q: Blake Shapen did not play in last year’s Egg Bowl. How do you see him preparing for it this time around?
Lebby: For all of our guys, the excitement of having the opportunity to check a bunch of boxes. I think that’s our entire football team. Really excited about a great opportunity Friday morning. All eyes on this football game, and Blake along with everybody else to take advantage of that.

Q: In the transfer portal era, how do guys like that prepare for a rivalry game like this?
Lebby: I think you mentioned it earlier but guys inside our locker room understand what this game means, that played in it, and staffing for us with guys that have played in this game that now work here, and can share stories about what their experience was. I think educating those guys as much as we can so that we understand exactly what it’s gonna be like when we go kick it off.