Everything Mel Tucker said at his Peach Bowl press conference
Michigan State will play Pittsburgh on Thursday, Dec. 30 (7 p.m. ET) for the Peach Bowl.
This will be the program’s first Peach Bowl appearance and the Big Ten’s second in 40 years. Few expected Michigan State to have the success it found in coach Mel Tucker’s second year at the helm, but now MSU will have a chance to knock off a Power 5 conference champ and secure the best season for the program since 2015.
“Playing in a game of this magnitude is a reward for our players, our coaches, and our fans for winning 10 games in the regular season,” he said Monday.
Ahead of the game, Tucker met with reporters in Atlanta on Monday to preview the matchup, discuss recruiting, and more. Here’s what he said:
Tucker on the NY6 game for recruiting momentum: "It has a tremendous effect on our recruiting." Says "everyone is talking about Michigan State" as he and his staff have been on the road recruiting the past two weeks. "They feel like this is a place where they can send players."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) December 13, 2021
Tucker says players will start practicing again Tuesday to prepare for the Peach Bowl.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) December 13, 2021
Tucker: "They see what we've done with portal guys in the past. If they come to Michigan State, they're gonna get a fair shake." Says "anyone we add to our team is gonna be welcome," and there are "no sharp elbows in our locker room" with new guys arriving.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) December 13, 2021
Tucker says MSU will have "roughly" 12 practices before the Peach Bowl, primarily to prepare for Pitt but also to "get some more reps to younger players. It's not like spring ball, but you do have more time to develop players, especially young players."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) December 13, 2021
Asked if Kenneth Walker III still plans to play, Tucker says he has not "heard anything from the healthy guys" that they plan to sit out the Peach Bowl.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) December 13, 2021
Tucker said he told Walker the other day, "The awards, the ones you win, the ones you don't win, they don't define you. Just keep that in mind."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) December 13, 2021
Tucker on Walker not getting a Heisman invite to NYC: "I personally wanted to see him invited to New York for that, but it didn't happen, but it doesn't take away from who he is as a player and a person. I think everyone knows what kind of player he is."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) December 13, 2021
Tucker says he is "uncertain" whether Kenneth Walker III will play because "he's been battling through some things. He's not the only one."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) December 13, 2021
Tucker says he plans to "take my time" with filling the open assistant coach spot.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) December 13, 2021
Tucker says his Big Ten coach of the year award "is a team award. That sounds cliche, but I'm not a one-man team here."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) December 13, 2021
Tucker on the benefit of winning an individual award: "The recognition, it only helps. People are taking notice of what we're doing in East Lansing."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) December 13, 2021
Tucker said recruits have told him on visits to MSU that it is "way, way, way, way better than they expected."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) December 13, 2021
