Breaking down Mississippi State's offense under head coach Jeff Lebby

Saturday's matchup for the Sun Devils features not only a vastly different atmosphere, but a much different offensive scheme to prepare for.

A protégé of Art Briles, head coach Jeff Lebby has utilized the "veer and shoot" offensive style that was a hallmark of Briles' teams during his tenure at Baylor from 2008-2015.

The veer and shoot relies on the following key pieces: tempo, run-pass options, and utilizing the deep pass. Quarterback Blake Shapen will be tasked with keeping up a fast-paced offense, trying to keep the Sun Devils on their heels and leaning on the talented backfield of Davon Booth and Fluff Bothwell.

The larger offensive line that Lebby has recruited in for his second season will be up to the challenge of creating space for the running backs or Shapen himself to exploit the gaps created. Look for both runners to attempt to stretch play vertically downfield if given the space.

The idea behind the veer and shoot offense is that the Bulldogs hope to be able to score from anywhere on the field, and wide receiver Brenen Thompson will be the deep speed threat for the secondary to watch.

Thompson transferred to Mississippi State after three seasons at Oklahoma and has already stepped up as Shapen's favorite target early in the season. He and tight end Seydou Traore will receive the bulk of Shapen's targets, presenting an opportunity for the Sun Devils to shut down the Bulldogs offense if they can shut down those two receivers.

Traditionally, Jeff Lebby's system takes a season or two to gain traction before seeing success. From 2009 to 2010, Baylor's offense went from 101st in the nation with 20.8 points per game to 36th with 31.2 points per game. A similar improvement came under Brent Venables from 2022 to 2023; 32.8 points per game (33rd nationally) in 2022 to 41.7 points per game (4th nationally) in 2023. A lot needs to go right this season for the Bulldogs to see a similar improvement, but this is not an opponent for the Devils to take lightly.