Jeff Lebby era at Mississippi State couldn’t be off to worse start

Jeff Lebby wasn’t expected to set the world on fire in his first season at Mississippi State, but he was at least expected to not be run out of his home stadium by Toledo. 

That’s exactly what happened on Saturday night, as the Rockets had their way with the Bulldogs in a dominant 41-17 victory. Mississippi State never led in Saturday’s contest and only scored three points in a first half that saw Toledo take a 28-3 lead into the locker room. 

Not even a halftime break could key the Bulldogs back in, as Toledo scored within the first five minutes of the third quarter to take a 35-3 lead. A 41-17 final score burned into the scoreboard at Davis-Wade Stadium when the clock hit zeros, leaving many Mississippi State fans wondering how the Bulldogs got here. 

After the untimely passing of legendary coach Mike Leach, Zach Arnett was tapped to be the head coach of the Bulldogs in 2023. Mississippi State’s 2023 campaign was abysmal — a 5-7 season led to Arnett’s firing after just 10 games as head coach. 

To be fair, nobody expected much from the Bulldogs in 2023. After all, Arnett was mostly seen as a placeholder until the Bulldogs found their next permanent option at head coach. 

Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby was chosen to fill that role, but through three games, the on-field product has arguably gotten worse than it was at any point last fall. 

A 30-23 loss against Arizona State in Week 2 may have put the writing on the wall, as late scores made the Bulldogs loss look much closer than it actually was, but Saturday’s defeat was the kind that could turn on the burner under Lebby’s seat. 

Firing a first-time head coach in his maiden season — or after three games, as some fans have called for — would be absurd, but Mississippi State fans are rightfully frustrated. 

Saturday’s game wasn’t even remotely competitive and if the Bulldogs can’t keep up with a MAC team, how bad will things get when they play the likes of Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Missouri? 

All five of those teams are on Mississippi State’s schedule in an eight-game span, with additional SEC matchups against Florida, Texas A&M and Arkansas on tap. 

Only a Nov. 2 matchup against Massachusetts seems like a sure victory for Lebby, but after Saturday’s loss, not even that’s a guarantee. 

If Lebby wants to into Year 2 without feeling like his job is on the line every week, he must find a way to string together wins. A winnable home matchup with Florida looms on Sept. 21, but it’ll take a fair share of miracles for the Bulldogs to reach a bowl game.