Bulldogs Complete First Scrimmage
August 16, 2026 | Football
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby had two main objectives he wanted to see from his team during their first scrimmage on Sunday afternoon.
The first thing the third-year head coach wished for was for his team to walk out of Davis Wade Stadium healthy. The next goal was to see balanced competition on each side of the football. When the sun started to disappear beyond the horizon of best small town in the south, the Bulldogs had accomplished both.
“There was a ton of back and forth,” Lebby said. “Defensively, we started the scrimmage really, really well and found a way to get a couple of three-and-outs. I liked how the offense was able to bounce back and continue to play. They took what was there and tried to go execute the call.
“That's what I said to the guys right after — great competition and a ton of back and forth. We've got a ton of work to do. No. 1, we're healthy coming off the field, which is huge. No. 2, the energy, physicality and competitiveness were really good.”
MSU’s scrimmage was a game-like situation with live tackling on everyone except the quarterbacks. Naturally, Lebby wants to keep sophomore signal caller Kamario Taylor as healthy as possible heading into the 2026 season.
But the design and concept of the scrimmage also kept Taylor in the pocket and forced him to make reads downfield which are beneficial to his continued progression.
“I thought he made some really good decisions,” Lebby said. “He took really good care of the football. I love live situations because they're not live for him. It continues to make him play the game from the pocket, which is critical for us and for his development. He's had a really good camp and he's trying to get better every day.”
Another aspect that Lebby has consistently been pleased with is his specialists. The Bulldogs have the luxury of having kicker Kyle Ferrie and punter Ethan Pulliam both returning to handle their respective kicking duties this year.
“Our specialists, in general, have had a really, really good camp,” Lebby said. “I'm really excited about where we're at from a team standpoint and with our depth. Having those guys back is a huge, huge part of what we're doing.”
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State is scheduled to hold its second preseason scrimmage on Saturday ahead of the opener at home against ULM on Sept. 5.
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