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Mel Tucker shares initial reaction to Michigan State’s road upset of No. 16 Illinois
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Mel Tucker and his Michigan State Spartans got a big 23-15 upset win over No. 16 Illinois in Week 10. That win came on the road in Champaign as the Spartans try to stabilize things moving forward.
Tucker addressed the win over a ranked Fighting Illini immediately after game during an on-field interview:
“Really proud of our guys, we stuck together all year,” said Tucker. “I told them before the game, I’ve never been more proud of the group of guys, how they stuck together… we just kept chopping and playing complimentary football today.”
As for the defense, Tucker believes that unit has been trending up recently. In Week 10, the unit finally put a complete performance together:
“We’ve been playing a lot better (defensively) the last 3 weeks, we just continue to build confidence, guys are playing hard, guys are believing in what we’re doing… Our guys won’t quit, we’re just looking forward to getting back home,” explained Tucker.
Illinois accumulated 441 total yards, while Michigan State only accounted for 294 total yards. Sophomore Cal Haladay accounted for 9 total tackles, 6 solo tackles, and 3.5 tackles for loss for the Spartans in the win.
Junior quarterback Payton Thorne completed 19-of-29 of his passes for 182 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception in the game.