Tennessee football head coach Josh Heupel faces his old offensive coordinator this week against Mississippi State.

Tennessee football is jumping back into conference play this Saturday against Mississippi State. The Vols are 8-2 over the last 10 games against the Bulldogs, but second-year head coach Jeff Lebby could shake things up.

After finishing at the bottom of the SEC last year, Lebby and the Bulldogs have now started the 2025 season undefeated. Lebby has the chance to get his first conference win as Mississippi State’s head coach, but he knows it won’t be easy. The Bulldogs will host the Vols for their first true away game of the season. Lebby knows that the environment will play a big role.

“It needs to be an atmosphere and an energy that is really, really hard for the opponent to come play in,” Lebby said.

Here’s what else Lebby had to say about Tennessee football at his last press conference.

Battle of the trenches

Lebby praised the Vols for their effectiveness on both the offensive and defensive lines. He emphasized protecting Mississippi State quarterback Blake Shapen as part of the game plan.

“They’re getting after the quarterback and we’ve got to keep Blake clean to go play the way we want to play,” Lebby said.

The Vols have totaled 15 sacks and 30 tackles-for-loss this season through four games. Defensive lineman Joshua Josephs leads the team with three sacks and four tackles-for-loss.

On the other side of the ball, the Vols’ offensive line was recognized as well. Their performance this season was something Lebby paid close attention to while watching film.

“Having the ability to keep the QB clean and then how they’re being able to push the ball down the field and make some really, really competitive plays jumped off the tape,” Lebby said.

Tennessee’s offensive line has only given up two sacks this year. For the Bulldogs to beat the Vols, they’ll have to focus on creating and preventing pressure in the backfield.

Ground and air attack

The focal point of Mississippi State’s defensive game plan is to stop the run. Lebby emphasized that this will be an important part of the Bulldog’s success in this game.

“They want to get the run game going, that’s when they have the most success,” Lebby said. “So we’ve got to find ways to limit that.”

Lebby did note the efficiency of the Vols’ passing game as well. Although the running game is his top priority, Lebby knows that Tennessee’s tendency to take shots downfield will make an impact in this game.

“Tennessee’s throwing the ball really, really well; they’ve been explosive,” Lebby said.

The Vols’ offense is currently seventh in yards per game with 554.

History with Heupel

Lebby has a long history with Tennessee football head coach Josh Heupel. The pair met on the Oklahoma coaching staff in 2004. When Heupel got the head coaching job at UCF in 2018, he brought Lebby along to be a part of his staff. Despite being conference rivals now, Lebby has nothing but respect for Heupel.

“There’s a ton of things that I learned in those moments,” Lebby said. “Obviously, incredibly appreciative of that time that I got to spend with him.”

Heupel and the Vols defeated Lebby’s Bulldogs 33-14 last season in their first matchup as head coaches.