Season in a sentence
Thank God it’s over.
Three Highs
- Quarterback play
Blake Shapen and Michael Van Buren were both very good this year. I would have to think Shapen will only get better in year two returning from injury.
- They Showed some fight
The way this team fought against Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Georgia was very promising. Scoring over 30 points on Georgia is not easy. Since 2018, it’s only happened ten times and two of those were to Joe Burrow and LSU and four were against Alabama.
- It’s over
I’m not trying to pour salt on the wound but thank God the season is over, because it was a very difficult first year for Jeff Lebby in Starkville.
Three Lows
- The Arizona State loss
Cam Skattebo had his breakout performance against Mississippi State, and perhaps we should have paid more attention since then. While it’s respectable that MSU only lost by seven to a College Football Playoff team, allowing him to rush for nearly 270 yards was flat out embarrassing.
- The Toledo loss
Speaking of embarrassing, a 24-point loss at home to a Maction team simply cannot happen.
- Losing Michael Van Buren
The best part of this entire year was Michael Van Buren. He showed time and time again he was a top-half quarterback in this league and did so as a true freshman. Losing him to the portal was bad enough, but watching him go to a former divisional rival made it even worse.
The Offense
I was late to recognizing just how good Blake Shapen and Michael Van Buren were in their first year under Jeff Lebby. They were great. I’m not sure if Lebby is the long-term answer as head coach, but he is undoubtedly an offensive mastermind. The offense struggled, ranking 13th or 14th in scoring, total offense, and rushing offense. However, I love what they’ve brought in from the portal and I think year two will be better if they can stay healthy.
Offensive Grade: D+
The Defense
I haven’t seen a defense this bad since the Menendez brothers series on Netflix. They allowed 34.1 points per game and 456 yards per game. That’s nine more points and 80 more yards than the next closest team in the SEC. It was awful.
Defensive Grade: G because it’s even lower than an F
Overall Grade
There’s no sugar coating an awful 2-10 season. Mississippi State was overmatched in almost every game they played and that included a 24-point loss to Toledo. However, if you are looking for optimism, look at what Lebby was able to sell to his players in year one. They fought in every game and there’s no better example of that than their showing in the Egg Bowl against archrival Ole Miss.
I do not know if Jeff Lebby will be the long-term solution as head coach or if he’ll be successful in that role. What I do know is this: no program in the country has endured what Mississippi State has faced over the last three years. They tragically lost Mike Leach at the end of the 2022 season, hired a defensive coordinator who wasn’t ready to be a head coach, fired him after one year, and then brought in another first-time head coach, Jeff Lebby.
That level of instability is not sustainable for long-term success. It is a level of instability that I would have tried to date in my 20’s, but I digress. Lebby and company need some solid ground to create a foundation in year two.
Overall Season Grade: D+
