Four Most Interesting Things Mel Tucker Said Ahead Of Wisconsin

We react to several things the Spartans' head coach said this week ahead of MSU's game vs. the Badgers...

The questions are becoming harsher, and answers are more difficult to come by as Michigan State football continues to stumble its way through the 2022 season.

The Spartans, 2-4 overall and losers of four consecutive games, look to end the misery this weekend when they host Wisconsin for homecoming.

Head coach Mel Tucker addressed the media earlier this week to talk about that matchup and other goings-on in the Spartan program, and these are the things that stood out most.

1.) “I’ve told the players before, and I told them again this morning, ‘I will never throw you, or a coach, or any staff member under the bus, publicly. I’ll never do that. However, behind closed doors, in our space, we have to make sure we hold each other accountable.’ And we’re doing that.”

This sounds like a direct response to the criticism Tucker got after the Ohio State game, when he said, “I’m not looking to make any changes from a coaching staff standpoint at all.”

Honestly, this is the best way for Tucker to go about this. People who want or expect Tucker to slam defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton, or Michigan State’s secondary, or their offense line right after games don’t have realistic expectations. Tucker is not going to do that, nor should he.

However, Tucker put that caveat at the end of his statement, saying, “behind closed doors, in our space, we have to make sure we hold each other accountable”. Again, Tucker handled this very well. This was his way of informing everyone that he’s evaluating what’s been going on defensively.

I don’t expect Tucker to make an in-season move with his coordinators, and that is going to upset some people. It’s fair to criticize Tucker for not making an in-season move, but I’m willing to wait to see how he addresses his coaching staff at season’s end before I pass judgement.

2.) “[Jacob Slade and Xavier Henderson] warmed up with us [for Ohio State game], and they’re getting closer to getting back. We’ll continue to monitor their progress. They’re doing everything they can to get back, and they’ll be ready when their ready.”

This is a pretty typical response for Tucker to an injury-related question, and though he didn’t share any new information, this is welcome news for the Spartans.

Michigan State has taken a significant step backwards in its run defense this season, and I think you can point to the loss of Jacob Slade as a significant reason why. Slade was one of the best defensive tackles in the Big Ten, and perhaps the country, as season ago, and his absence has surely been felt in recent weeks.

Likewise, losing Henderson in Week 1 was a major blow to a Spartans’ secondary that couldn’t afford the attrition that they’ve suffered this year.

Maybe these players will be back healthy for homecoming this week against Wisconsin, and we certainly hope that to be the case. However, if Slade and Henderson have to sit out again in Week 7, the Spartans have a bye before heading to Ann Arbor for the in-state rivalry game vs. Michigan. The way things are trending, I would expect both players to be back by that game at the latest.

3.) “What do I say to the fans? We need to play better football so you can be proud, and so it’s the brand of football out there that you expect. And then we’ll get more of what we want from our fans.”

Tucker was asked about fans leaving early during the game against Ohio State. By the end of the game, nearly all of the fans in attendance were Buckeye supporters shouting “O-H-I-O”.

Tucker’s response – “Well, what do you expect?”.

I’ve seen some comments out there about Michigan State or Tucker complaining about fans leaving, or being upset about the lack of support, and it’s just not true. Tucker himself said this week that he “doesn’t expect unconditional support from anyone.”

Tucker knows the product on the field has to improve in order for fans to stay in the stands, be loud and provide that tough, home field environment. Michigan State had excellent fans support last season, but a lot of that was because they went 11-2 overall and 7-0 at home.

In tight games, or in games that Michigan State is playing well, the fan support is going to be there and be strong. When the Spartans trail Minnesota and Ohio State big at home, the stadium is going to empty. That’s just the reality of the situation.

4.) “When you’re down a significant amount of points in the second half, calling in a run is not much of an option, and that’s been our case. But when you look at when we do actually hand the ball off, when we look at our self-scout, the vast majority of our runs have been efficient.”

I’ve been pretty complimentary of Tucker’s comments so far, but I’m not vibing with what he’s saying here.

Tucker talked about RPOs (run-pass option) and how sometimes a run play is called with the option to audible to a pass. He went on to explain that Michigan State has found success on the “vast majority” of called run plays that don’t include the option to pass.

That may be the case, I’m not in the film room, but there is nothing about Michigan State’s run game that has been efficient. Adjusting for sack-yardage lost, the Spartans are averaging just 3.3 yards per carry during this four-game losing streak. If you take out the Maryland game, in which MSU averaged 5.1 yards per carry, the number drops to 2.6 yards per carry against Washington, Minnesota and Ohio State.

Tucker suggested in his press conference that perhaps Michigan State needed more straight-run play calls, removing the pass option. If the coaching staff is truly seeing more success on those plays, then of course they should call more of those plays. Another thing the staff can do is find a way to get the ball in Elijah Collins hands more often, as he’s been the most efficient of MSU’s tailbacks in recent weeks.