The Start Of Stacking Days
August 01, 2024 | Football, Joel Coleman
Dawgs open preseason camp by pleasing head coach Jeff Lebby with focus and intensity.
STARKVILLE – At long last, football is back.
On a beautiful summer morning in Starkville on Thursday, new Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby led his Bulldogs through their first practice of the 2024 preseason.
There was of course no scoreboard. No pads are even on yet. However, Lebby couldn't help but come out of Thursday's action encouraged by what he saw.
"Our guys had great energy [and were] just being intentional," Lebby said. "They worked their butt off this summer to get us to this point. We have so much work to do and so much to clean up, but again, our guys' energy, our effort, our focus and our want to get better is what it's all about on day one."
Soon enough, August 31 will arrive and there'll be an accurate way to measure victories and losses when the games begin. There are little things to look for between now and then though – things that are precursors to success.
Were the Bulldogs able to take what they learned in the spring under Lebby and build on it as camp opened up?
"Our guys have retained in a really good way because they worked at it," Lebby said. "It's not like they haven't picked up the playbook since we walked off the field in the spring game. So, they've put in the time. We're so much further ahead than we were when we ended the spring. That's what you want. Now, it's about getting the young guys up to speed and the new guys up to speed and getting them work."
What about team chemistry? With many new faces in the Maroon and White, are there signs of the team jelling as one?
"We've been very intentional on being connected – as a football team, as groups, as units – and understanding it's a lot more about the guy standing beside me than it is me," Lebby said. "I think if we do that and take that, we have a chance to be the best possible version of us as we can be."
More good signs are sure to come in the days ahead. And to be fair, there'll be tough days as well. It's just the nature of the beast.
"We said in the team meeting [Thursday] morning that the best the guys would feel [all season] would be [at practice on Thursday]," Lebby said. "That is part of this game. It's a violent game. It's a physical game. It's hard. It's supposed to be."
Come what may though, Mississippi State is off and running. The 2024 journey has begun. And at least for as much as you can do so, go ahead and count day one of the voyage as an early win.
"Our guys had the right intent [on Thursday] and that's what we are looking for," Lebby said. "We've got to stack days and we've got to be better [Friday] morning than we were this morning."
The Bulldogs return to the practice fields on Friday, working towards their August 31 season opener against Eastern Kentucky at Davis Wade Stadium. To purchase tickets for the Eastern Kentucky game, or any of MSU's seven home contests this season, CLICK HERE.