Lebby, Bulldogs back to work again as conference losing streak grows

Devastation was felt for yet another Southeastern Conference game last week as Mississippi State found another creative way to lose.

For 16-straight games in league play, that’s been the case. It was different the last two years for the Bulldogs as the talent level and depth wasn’t where it needed to be. This year, Jeff Lebby’s team is on the doorstep and that’s the frustration for the fanbase and the team alike.

As the Bulldogs walked off the Scott Field grass on Saturday, they couldn’t believe what had happened. A 17-point lead vanished in a fourth quarter blink as No. 20 Texas erased a 38-21 deficit and won 45-38 in overtime. That same shock and frustration followed the team into the doors of the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex on Sunday afternoon but they left the building that day with a page turned to Arkansas.

“Guys inside the building (Sunday) – which I expected – disappointment, frustration, shocked that this really happened and it did. Our guys (Monday) morning through leadership council meetings, our team meeting, position meetings, unit meetings, kids are resilient man,” Lebby said. “They’ll fit off the leader and fit off the people coaching them every single day. I think we have a pissed off football team. A team that isn’t hanging their head, is not feeling sorry for themselves. A football that that is ready to go prove we’re a good football team. That’s my charge.”

Bulldogs running out of chances in 2025

Lebby’s team has been picking itself up off the mat for each of the last two seasons and finding a way to keep fighting. It has yet to pay off in the form of an SEC win, but the coach and his team continue to go back to work.

Through the first 12 games of his tenure as a coach in this league, State is 0-12. He started this season 4-0 but the games that matter the most are ending with a loss. This week, Lebby and the Bulldogs have a resistible force meeting a moveable object in a program that is dealing with a lot of the same issues.

The Bulldogs (4-4, 0-4 SEC) head to Fayetteville, Ark., to take on an Arkansas Razorback team that is being coached by an interim coach in Bobby Petrino  and they will meet at 3 p.m. on SEC Network Saturday. Like the Bulldogs, Arkansas (2-6, 0-4 SEC) have been close but have come away empty handed.

They were on the verge of beating Ole Miss before a fumble in the red zone, they fumbled inside the 5 yard line in a 32-31 defeat to Memphis, lost by three points to Tennessee and Texas A&M and then had a 21-10 lead against Auburn last week before being outscored 23-3 in the second half.

“We played a football team a couple of weeks ago that was the best 2-4 team in the country. We’re playing the best 2-6 football team in the country this week,” Lebby said of Arkansas. “They got a quarterback that is elite at everything that he does. They have played really well offensively. Auburn did a really good job defensively the other day, created some turnovers. Arkansas struggled in the red zone a little bit, but their ability to score and play great offensively is very well documented.

“Then defensively, they have played better. They haven’t been great against the run, but they were better this past week. Auburn did a great job of committing to the run game and finding some ways to play 11 on 11, which gave them a chance to go win the game.”

Close is no longer what either fanbase wants to hear. Petrino is in the middle of an audition to grab his second tenure as the Arkansas head man while Lebby is trying to build and sustain in Starkville.

On Saturday, both coaches will be put to the test looking to end an SEC losing streak. Ironically, both teams were each other’s last conference win. Saturday will end one streak and continue the other and Lebby has to find a way to make sure he’s the winner.

“We have a good football team. We got a tough football team. I hate the fact we’re not having the ability to feel that and the success. I hate our fan base doesn’t have the ability to feel that. The way they showed up at Davis Wade, our student section, the energy and passion, as good a gameday experience as you can have. I hate that our fan base, our people that are so invested, don’t get to feel good about winning a big game,” Lebby said. “It’s everybody involved, but our guys are going to be ready to play on Saturday. There’s not going to be any feeling sorry for ourselves. We fully understand what is ahead of us. I think that’s what’s most important.”