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How Mississippi State’s Jeff Lebby is fixing one of SEC’s worst offenses with Blake Shapen, more fun

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How Mississippi State’s Jeff Lebby is fixing one of SEC’s worst offenses with Blake Shapen, more fun


DALLAS ― First-year Mississippi State football coach and offensive guru Jeff Lebby inherited one of the SEC’s worst offenses.

No SEC team recorded fewer points or first downs than the Bulldogs in 2023. Mississippi State finished 13th out of 14 programs in passing yards per game, ninth in rushing yards and 12th in total offense.

He brought in 19 total transfers, including 11 on the offensive side of the ball, headlined by veteran Baylor quarterback Blake Shapen.

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“I think the confidence comes in the preparation and the guys that we have from the standpoint of having Blake being our QB,” Lebby said at SEC Media Days on Wednesday. “A guy that has great experience, he’s a Big 12 champion. He knows what it’s supposed to look like. So that piece of the puzzle was huge for me and for us being in Year 1. That gives us the chance to get off the ground the way we want to.”

Not long ago, a coach bringing in an experienced quarterback like Shapen for the first year of his tenure would have marked a truly rare occurrence. The transfer portal changed that.

Now, Lebby can turn to a player who threw for 5,574 yards and 36 touchdowns in 27 games at Baylor right from the jump.

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There’s still a learning curve for Shapen. At Baylor, he played in a pro-style offense, under center roughly 50% of the time. Lebby’s offense will operate almost exclusively out of the shotgun.

“It’s (taken) a lot of time, for sure,” Shapen said. “… Now coming to a more spread-out offense, wider splits, things like that. Getting the ball out quick and throwing the ball down the field.”

Lebby’s offense at Oklahoma last year ripped off 82 plays of 20 yards or more to rank eighth nationally. Mississippi State’s offense produced 42 such plays.

If the Bulldogs can get this right, they should be a much more fun watch in 2024.

LEBBY ON KIFFIN: Jeff Lebby calls Lane Kiffin ‘childish’ for social media posts but respects Ole Miss coach

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“I think the fans and the people, they kind of understand coach Lebby’s history and what he’s done offensively,” Shapen said. “So I don’t think it’s going to be a huge surprise, but I think when we’re able to put up some points and change the outcome of some games, I think that’ll be a big surprise.”

Walking the path toward that goal, the Bulldogs are prioritizing having some fun of their own.

“I truly think when you walk in the double doors every single day, if you enjoy who you do it with and how you do it, then you’ve got a chance to pour into it just a little bit more,” Lebby said. “So maybe you stay for 20 more minutes, 20 get elite recovery because of what’s going on in the training room and what’s going on in the weight room. That culture to me matters. People want to be inside the building when they enjoy being inside the building.”

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

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World Atlas names 2 Mississippi cities some of best places to live in the South. See why

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World Atlas names 2 Mississippi cities some of best places to live in the South. See why


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Thinking of moving? Mississippi has a lot to offer, and two cities were recently named some of the best places to call home in the Southeast.

“The American South stands out as one of the most diverse regions in the United States, offering a unique blend of vibrant cities, charming small towns, and striking natural landscapes, from the Appalachian Mountains to miles of coastline and rolling farmland. With a warm year-round climate and a slower pace of life, these qualities create an appealing environment for those seeking comfort and a sense of balance.” World Atlas wrote.

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The site chose nine of the best places to live in the South. The criteria included wellbeing, affordability, job opportunities, education and more.

Natchez and Biloxi made the list. Here’s what you need to know about these iconic Mississippi cities, why people love living there.

Natchez is affordable, fun

World Atlas highlighted Natchez as a historic treasure. The state’s oldest city has a long story to tell, starting with ancient Native American civilizations that called the area home. It played a key role in European settlement here, including the state spending time under French and Spanish rule before becoming part of the U.S.

“With a cost of living below the national average and a median home price of around $170,000, Natchez offers affordable housing alongside a rich cultural lifestyle,” World Atlas wrote.

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Travel + Leisure recently called Natchez a great retirement city. They advise people looking for affordable living and a walkable community to add it to their shortlists for consideration.

Biloxi has entertainment, beautiful beaches

World Atlas noted that Biloxi is a gem on the Gulf Coast. Casinos provide lots of entertainment options near white sand beaches.

“With a cost of living slightly below the national average and a median home price around $250,000, Biloxi provides an appealing combination of scenic beauty, recreational opportunities, and economic stability, making it a compelling place to call home,” World Atlas wrote.

Best places to live in the South

According to World Atlas, these are nine of the best places to live in the Southern U.S.

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  • Natchez, Mississippi
  • Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
  • Mount Airy, North Carolina
  • Florence, Alabama
  • Biloxi, Mississippi
  • Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
  • Danville, Virginia
  • Helen, Georgia
  • Guntersville, Alabama

Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at bbolden@gannett.com.



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Overreaction Sunday in full swing for Mississippi State fans after loss to Florida

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Overreaction Sunday in full swing for Mississippi State fans after loss to Florida


The NFL has overreaction Monday where its fans make outlandish, emotional statements about a big change their team needs to make or how the rest of the season will go.

College football has that too, just on Sundays and there’s no shortage of overreactions being made by Mississippi State fans right now.

The Bulldogs’ 23-21 loss to Florida should have been a win and not just because of what happened at the end of the game. There were plenty of opportunities to win and that makes this loss a lot more painful and, in turn, has made some fans on social media and on message boards emotional.

Here’s three of them. How this will work is we’ll make the argument in favor of a statement and then make a judgement on if its an overreaction or not.

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Let’s begin with probably the most controversial reaction.

Shapen was 24-of-36 for 324 yards, no touchdowns, one interception and was sacked four times. He threw the game-ending interception to a defensive tackle who dropped into zone coverage.

There was also the three overthrown passes to wide receivers in the end zone in the first half. He did have two long pass completions to Anthony Evans III (48 yards) and Brenen Thompson (47) against Florida.

But for the most part, the Bulldogs’ offense didn’t do much. Their first touchdown came on the opening drive and then didn’t score again until the fourth quarter.

This decision isn’t limited to just one game, either. Shapen and the Bulldogs offense didn’t play well against Texas A&M and Shapen missed an open receiver in overtime against Tennessee to keep that game going.

With better quarterback play, Mississippi State would be 6-1 right now.

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Verdict: Overreaction.

Mississippi State’s offensive struggles aren’t just because of the quarterback play.

The offensive line has struggled in pass protection and is inconsistent in run blocking. There are fewer penalties being called against the Bulldogs, but illegal formations, false starts and holding calls still plague them.

And while putting the blame for losing to the Gators on Shapen is easy, there are other mistakes that cost the Bulldogs the game.

Kyle Ferrie “missed” a 41-yard field goal (its debatable because the ball passed right over the right upright).

Seydou Traore gets called for holding that negates a 30-yard Davon Booth run in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs do score a touchdown on the drive to make the score 23-21, but that touchdown could have come quicker and given Mississippi State more time on the final drive.

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Also, there’s no guarantee Kamario Taylor or Luke Kromenhoek play any better. We haven’t seen enough of either to know if they’d play better.

And do you really want to put Taylor, the true freshman quarterback, behind that offensive line for more than just a handful of plays?

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, Mississippi State has already seen what can happen when you put a true freshman quarterback in a starting role behind a shaky offensive line.

In the last two games, the Bulldogs’ defense did enough to put the team in a position to win.

They held Texas A&M to 14 points through three quarters. Against Florida, they got two interceptions and sacked DJ Lagway to force a punt with 1:41 left in the game.

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Florida’s star freshman wide receiver Dallas Wilson was targeted seven times but made just two catches, held Lagway to just a 58 completion percentage and had three TFLs.

Let’s not forget the goal line stand against Arizona State, holding the Sun Devils to a field goal so the offense can win the game on a 58-yard Brenen Thompson touchdown catch.

Verdict: Not an overreaction.

The defense isn’t elite and it’s toeing the line of being a great defense. For now, really good is great for Mississippi State.

Who would’ve believed me a year ago if I said “in a year Coleman Hutzler” is going to look like the best coach for Mississippi State?

It’s astonishing how much improved this defense is after one year. The Bulldogs were 126th nationally in total defense a year ago.

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This year, after seven games, the defense ranks 45th in total defense.

That’s just one stat, but the defense has made similar improvements in most other categories, too.

And, really, just use your eyes and you can see how much better the Bulldogs are.

Jeff Lebby is still winless in the SEC after 11 games and won’t be favored in any more games the rest of the season. So, 0-16 in SEC play in two seasons is possible.

Lebby also came to Starkville as an offensive guru and engineered some of the best offenses of the last five years, but that hasn’t shown up at Mississippi State.

Yes, the big plays are fun, but the offense has been far from great.

And the decision to throw a pass in the fourth quarter against Florida instead of kicking a field goal was a colossal mistake.

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Verdict: Massive overreaction.

This is the biggest overreaction I’ve seen this season.

Three weeks ago everyone was in love with Mississippi State and believed Lebby was doing a great job.

But now everyone is mad and thinks Lebby should be fired?

Seriously, folks, chill. That was a tough loss and it’s OK to be upset, but maybe step away from social media and the message boards?

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Lebby’s not going anywhere, nor should he. He inherited a dumpster fire of a situation, suffered through 2024’s two-win season and has shown big improvements in 2025.

Look at the running backs (when healthy), the wide receivers and the entire defense. Lebby is building a program that everyone thought was on the rise three weeks ago.

And it still is.





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Blake Shapen stats as QB has Mississippi State in position for upset before interception

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Blake Shapen stats as QB has Mississippi State in position for upset before interception


GAINESVILLE, FL — Blake Shapen’s interception sealed Mississippi State football’s 15th consecutive SEC loss.

The quarterback had driven the Bulldogs into field-goal range with a chance to stun Florida at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. They had the ball at the Gators’ 29-yard line with 26 seconds remaining, trailing by two points.

Then, Shapen was intercepted by Florida defensive lineman Michai Boirea, and MSU (4-3, 0-3 SEC) lost 23-21 on Oct. 18.

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Here’s how we graded Shapen against Florida (3-4, 2-2).

Blake Shapen stats for Mississippi State vs Florida

  • Passing attempts: 24-for-36
  • Passing yards: 324
  • Passing touchdowns: 0
  • Interceptions: 1
  • Rushing attempts: 10
  • Rushing yards: 1
  • Rushing touchdowns: 0

Blake Shapen’s best: QB had Mississippi State in position to win

Shapen wasn’t fantastic in the game. The offense didn’t find a rhythm until the fourth quarter. But Shapen still had Mississippi State in a position to win.

The Bulldogs got the ball at their own 26-yard line with 1:38 remaining, trailing 23-21. On the first play of that drive, Shapen scrambled up the middle for an 18-yard gain. He completed four of his next five pass attempts, including a 10-yard pass to running back Davon Booth on third-and-9.

Blake Shapen’s worst: Mississippi State QB threw game-losing interception

Shapen’s performance won’t be remembered for those plays, however. The interception he threw to seal the game will be the memory that lasts.

Boirea was positioned at the line of scrimmage, but the 349-pound lineman dropped into coverage after the snap. He read Shapen perfectly and intercepted the pass over the middle of the field.

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Grade: C

Shapen’s 324 yards were the most he’s thrown for in 11 games at the Mississippi State starter. However, his streak of 21 straight games with a touchdown pass was snapped.

The interception was the costly play. Mississippi State needed him to take care of the football in that situation, and he didn’t.

Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.

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