NORMAN — Oklahoma knows what to expect this weekend.
Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby spent two years as the offensive coordinator in Norman, working under Brent Venables and alongside defensive assistants Todd Bates, Miguel Chavis and Brandon Hall.
Though the Sooners didn’t have to prepare for the Bulldogs in either of their first two years in the Southeastern Conference, there shouldn’t be a massive learning curve to get ready for the trip to Starkville.
“(Lebby) goes fast, and their offense is almost warp speed at times,” Bates said on Tuesday. “The challenge is getting line up correctly and accurately.”
Receiver Anthony Evans III is Lebby’s weapon downfield. Slowing him down will be key for the Sooners, regardless of who is playing quarterback.
“They challenge your eyes so you can't have eye crimes,” Bates said. “Your safeties and DBs, they have to play with tremendous discipline. You've got to be committed to stopping the run but you cannot let one of those guys get some YAC and break a tackle or take it the distance.”
There could be a pair of key absences, however.
Star quarterback Kamario Taylor was listed as questionable on the first SEC availability report of the week after missing last week’s contest against LSU.
Parker Puckett filled in for Taylor, but he struggled, completing 16-of-26 passes for 121 yards and a pick while also carrying the ball 11 times for 40 yards.
Running back Fluff Bothwell, who leads the Bulldogs with 403 yards and three scores on 74 carries, was also listed as questionable.
But even if Mississippi State has to rely on the backups, OU’s coaching staff knows how Lebby goes about preparing his offense, even if there isn’t a ton of film on the Bulldog understudies.
“You just really have to go off what you know about the system and what they're going to try to do,” Bates said. “… You've got to have answers when it comes to an offense like this, because they're going to attack you every way they can.”
LSU shut out the shorthanded Bulldogs last week, but Bates knows the Sooners will have a different challenge on their hands as Mississippi State returns home to play host this weekend.
“They want to run the football and are physical, but they also have the screens and the touch game to make you defend every blade of grass,” Bates said. “… Jeff's going to have them ready to play. We'll be ready to play too.”
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