Mel Tucker: 'Washington is on the clock' after MSU dominates Richmond

Mel Tucker and Michigan State have a '24-hour rule' when it comes to celebrating wins on the football field, but the Spartans agreed to forego that privilege following their 45-14 victory over Richmond.

MSU is already full steam ahead on preparing for No. 8 Washington next Saturday in East Lansing.

"We're not going to have 24-hour rule right now," Tucker said at his postgame press conference. "I told those guys, and they all agreed, let's get the celebration over in the locker room. Once you leave the locker room, Washington is on the clock."

Cornerback Dillon Tatum said the Spartans received their head coach's postgame message loud and clear.

"They guys received it well. They understand," Tatum said. "A lot of guys came back who were around that game and have a true understanding of 'this game matters'. It's going to be big, it's going to be exciting and we're preparing. It's going to be a great game."

Michigan State was fully dominate in the win over Richmond, outgaining the Spiders 465 to 193 in total offense, and sacking Richmond quarterback Kyle Wickersham seven times, and practically doing whatever they wanted to with the ball in their hands.

That's expected against an FCS foe however, and the Spartans know that the 2023 season really gets started in Week 3 against the first of four Top 10 opponents.

"We're rolling into the big games now, so now it's time to be prepared and time to focus," said redshirt freshman receiver Antonio Gates Jr., who scored his first career touchdown on Saturday night.

There will be a familiar face on the sideline when Washington enters Spartan Stadium next week. Sophomore wide receiver Germie Bernard — who signed with Michigan State out of the 2022 class alongside Gates Jr., Tyrell Henry and Jaron Glover — is now a Husky after transferring from MSU this past offseason.

Gates Jr. said he and Bernard are still close, but that won't affect his mindset this week.

"I mean, that's my brother, but at the end of the day he's on the other side of the ball," Gates Jr. said. "We're trying to win the game. It's no nothing between us and Germie -- we're going against Washington, and it has nothing to do with Germie. That's my brother, personally, but we're just trying to beat Washington. That's all it is."

Understandably, since he plays a different position, Tatum doesn't have that same kind of relationship with Bernard.

"We'll say 'Hi' but we're coming after that. Every time," he said.

Asked whether he and his teammates would enact a 'no-contact policy' between Michigan State's young wide receivers and Bernard, Tatum said he shouldn't have to say anything. That's the expectation.

"I mean, I shouldn't have to tell them that," Tatum said. "They should know that. We're Spartan football, and Spartan football first."

It's no secret that Michigan State will be the underdog against Washington. The Huskies defeated the Spartans, 39-28, in Seattle last year on their way to an 11-2 record and Top 10 finish. On the other side, that game was the beginning of MSU's spiral towards a 5-7 campaign in 2022.

"How we're looked at right now, we continue to be underdogs," Tatum said. "So, we're going to go and attack this game, attack every day this week to the highest standard we could ever put out there.

"Just come at this game like we have something that we need to go get, because [Washington feels] like they've just got it already. We're not going to let that carry through."

Tucker was asked postgame what gives him confidence into this matchup.

"That we can win the game? We'll have to see if we can win the game, but we'll be prepared," Tucker said. "I keep saying, we've got some good players on offense, defense and special teams. We have the potential to get better. We're not as good as we can be yet.

"[Washington is] very well-coached, they've got some good players and we're going to prepare like crazy for the opportunity. It's not going to be easy. It's going to be a tough game, but we're going to show up."

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