STARKVILLE — The hiring of Jeff Lebby was about more than a new coach for Mississippi State football. His arrival, complemented by his track record of explosive offensive play, provided an opportunity at revamping the perception surrounding the program.

Blue-collared. Hard-nosed.

Those expressions have surrounded MSU for years, extending into former coach Zach Arnett’s failed one-year tenure. While those are worthwhile traits for a team to have, especially on defense, the hiring of Lebby offered a chance at something new.

Showtime. Dime time. Swag is State.

Those are the new phrases that have become marketing tools under the new regime in Starkville. The spring game on Saturday (1 p.m., SEC Network+) presents the first chance to show off what’s being sold.

There’s importance to Lebby's first spring game that extends beyond football.

“I want to show (fans) that we’re going to play fast,” Lebby said Thursday. “We’re going to be fearless. We’re going to be physical in everything that we do. I want to put a product on the field that, again, people are excited about.”

The spring game is going to feature offense versus defense. A scoring structure will be put in place where both sides of the ball can put up points.

While the defense has earned praise from coaches and players throughout the spring, Lebby’s tenure will be judged by what’s done on offense. Nearly a decade has passed since Mississippi State had a top-five scoring offense in the SEC.

That skid will likely need to end in Lebby’s tenure for it to be a success. Showing an ability to implement his system early would be a promising sign.

“How we coach, how we play, how we do what we do, that’ll be a huge part of what makes us, us,” Lebby said.

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In terms of competition, especially at position groups where clear starters haven’t emerged, Lebby doesn’t think Saturday will be any different from spring practices. The Bulldogs have held closed scrimmages, so one spring game won’t determine everything.

However, there’s an aspect to spring games that adds an element that can’t be simulated in practice.

Mississippi State won’t have 70,000 fans at Davis Wade Stadium like Alabama had at its spring game last week. But there will be a crowd watching. There will be the pregame experience of getting ready for a contest. There will be television cameras airing every play.

That pressure can often separate a good practice player from a strong in-game player. With exit meetings looming and the spring transfer portal window open, there’s plenty to play for in MSU’s spring game.

“It’s a good run-through for us – for all of us,” Lebby said.

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Why spring game has value for Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State football