When Tennessee football meets Mississippi State on Saturday, it’ll be another reunion between the respective head coaches, Josh Heupel and Jeff Lebby. The pair initially met when Lebby was still a student at Oklahoma and reunited at Central Florida when Heupel was the Knights’ head coach.
This familiarity has resulted in offenses that look very similar on the field. While they have their differences and have evolved in their own ways in recent years, it doesn’t take long to see comparisons on that side of the ball. On Sunday, Lebby joined The RTI Low-Down, Rocky Top Insider’s show hosted by Chris Low and Bob Baskerville, where he gave his thoughts on the subject.
“They are very similar,” Lebby said. “The bases of it, without a doubt, they’re incredibly similar. We’ve got, obviously, our own wrinkles, but how it all started and the system and how the QBs are coached, very, very similar. There is going to be a great deal of familiarity for each of us this week.”
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While both offenses are set up to suffocate opposing defenses, there may be a unique defensive advantage for both sides come Saturday. Lebby noted that both teams are used to playing against this style of offense at practice, and it could result in their defenses being much more comfortable with it than most.
“I think again for us defensively, because they see it every single day, I do think that’s an advantage. I really do,” Lebby said. “And again, there is going to be great familiarity. But just like their defense, and they would probably be saying the same thing, I think that’s really good for our group without a doubt.”
So far, Mississippi State has produced 41.3 points and 444.0 yards per game. The Bulldogs are off to a 4-0 start, which features a 24-20 win over then-ranked No. 12 Arizona State. Compared to a year ago, when MSU went 2-10, this turnaround for Lebby in year two has been nothing short of impressive.
Tennessee will be his toughest test yet of the 2025 season, though. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. ET and will air on SEC Network.
