First Look: Can Jeff Lebby Build on Mississippi State's Progress Before Facing Auburn?

The Auburn Tigers football season can't come soon enough. 

As exciting as the offseason has been on the Plains with the arrival of Alex Golesh as head coach, multiple big-time transfers from the portal, and the momentum growing from the upcoming 2027 recruiting class, nothing beats the opening kickoff. 

As we patiently wait for September 5 to roll around, Auburn Roundtable has launched an Offseason Opponent Preview for the Tigers upcoming season. Over the next few weeks, we will break down each one of Auburn's games on the schedule. 

Let's get to it. 

Week 11: November 14, 2026, Early Time Window

Auburn at Mississippi State

David Wade Stadium, Starkville, Mississippi

Past History with Mississippi State: This has been a rivalry that Auburn has owned since the first time they met in 1905. The team is 66-28-2 all-time against the Bulldogs and won the last meeting 27-13 in 2023.

Mississippi State Snapshot: The team took a noticeable step forward in Jeff Lebby's second season, improving from 2-10 to 5-8 and reaching its first bowl game in three years. Now, year three feels like an opportunity to build on that momentum. Kamario Taylor takes over as the full-time starting quarterback, while Fluff Bothwell gives the Bulldogs strong potential in the backfield after rushing for nearly 700 yards last year. The defense also gets a boost with Zach Arnett returning to Starkville as defensive coordinator. The biggest concern of course, is winning in the SEC, Lebby is 1-15 in conference play since becoming the head coach. 

Key Matchups: The Bulldogs have one of the SEC's premier defensive backs in Kelly Jones, a potential first-round NFL Draft pick who allowed just 11 catches all of last season. At 6-4, he is an unreal athlete, and Auburn, meanwhile, enters 2026 with an almost entirely revamped wide receiver room that will be tested immediately by one of the nation's best cover corners. If the Tigers' new pass catchers can consistently win against Jones and the Bulldogs' talented secondary, it could go a long way toward determining whether Auburn's passing attack is ready to take the next step. 

Interesting Storyline to Watch: The return of Zach Arnett is incredibly interesting to me. Can he turn Mississippi State's defense back into one of the SEC's toughest units? The Bulldogs struggled to consistently get stops last season, especially up front in the trenches, but Arnett returns after previously building one of the conference's better defenses during his first stint in Starkville. 

Game Importance Ranking: When considering the 12-game schedule as a whole, this feels like the 9th most important game of the season. Once again, I think Auburn is in a good position to win this game, but the Bulldogs shouldn't be slept on, they seem to have drastically improved from the last two seasons. 

What's Next: The Auburn Tigers will head back home for their final game at Jordan-Hare Stadium for the regular season and will take on Samford. 

Be sure to check out Auburn Roundtable for more Offseason Opponent Previews as well as other original content daily.