Jeff Lebby on the Egg Bowl - "It is a huge rivalry, I don't take that lightly or for granted"

Rivalry week is here. After three months of action, we've reached the finish line for college football's 2024 regular season. On Black Friday, Mississippi State football will take the field at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, where they'll take on the arch-rival Ole Miss Rebels in the Egg Bowl for the 121st meeting between the schools.

This is the end of the road for the 2024 Bulldogs. With a 2-9 record, State's chances at postseason play have long been shot. They'll suit up on Friday, and then football season will officially be in the books for the Maroon and White.

But regardless of how the season has gone, they're still playing for plenty in the Egg Bowl. This game matters deeply to a lot of people, and in his Monday press conference, Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby emphasized that he recognizes it's importance.

"There's great understanding that this game is a huge deal. Knowing what it means to our fan base, our university, the community in Starkville. It's a big deal."

- Miss State HC Jeff Lebby

While this his first season in Starkville, this isn't Jeff Lebby's first go-round in the rivalry. Lebby spent two seasons as Ole Miss' offensive coordinator under Lane Kiffin in 2020 and 2021. He's experienced firsthand what this game is all about, and he knows what it means in the state of Mississippi. He's making sure his team recognizes the importance as well.

"It is a huge rivalry game. There's no way around that. Our guys who have grown up in this state, chose to come to State, they understand that. There needs to be a heightened sense of that for those that have not played inside this game. That's what we talked about yesterday and this morning."

- Jeff Lebby

That doesn't mean the Bulldogs will handle their weekly duties any differently. The program's day to day operation won't change this week. They'll just be handling that operation with, as Lebby puts it, "a heightened awareness".

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

- Jeff Lebby

Of course there's a fine line to balance between understanding this game does, in fact, mean more and putting so much on it that it negatively affects your play. Lebby still wants his team fully focused on executing like they're always expected to on Friday.

"It's important for our guys to understand (the Egg Bowl's importance), understand the history of it, and make sure they're not getting emotionally hijacked by the energy and atmosphere, so we have to just focus really small and execute."

- Jeff Lebby

Lebby knows this game can have an impact beyond this season too. As in-state rivals in a state that produces the high-level talent that Mississippi does, Mississippi State and Ole Miss are perennially battling for prospects on the recruiting trail. When it comes to recruiting, this game is about showing recruits which program they want to be apart of. And given that Lebby's trying to establish his program in Starkville, that makes it all the more important.

"From a recruiting standpoint and how we recruit against each other inside the state, Friday afternoon we have a ton to play for and need to go be at our best."

- Jeff Lebby

It's clear Jeff Lebby has a total understanding of the importance of the Egg Bowl. There's nothing that's going to make his debut season at Mississippi State successful at this point, but he could right a lot of wrongs and give his fanbase something to look forward to in the future by taking down the Rebels on Friday.