For Michigan State and head coach Mel Tucker, there are plenty of challenges that are ahead this week with their trip to South Florida to take on Miami. Along with dealing with the Canes passing game and their defense, the Spartans will be having to deal with the heat on the field in Miami Gardens.

With the mid-September, noon start, the afternoon heat will be something to consider when a team that hasn’t taken a snap at a temperature above the 70s since 2018 — a 16-13 loss to Arizona State in Tempe.

But Tucker is taking it into consideration, and preparing for it.

“We’ve done a lot to prepare for the heat, not just this week but it’s been over the course of several weeks,” Tucker said on Tuesday. “We’ll follow that plan and continue with that this week and take it all the way into the game – pregame, during the game, halftime and throughout the second half. We’ll execute our plan the best we can.”

But there are a lot of new faces on the Spartans roster with plenty of experience playing in the heat, including players from Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Arizona, Nevada and California. Redshirt junior receiver Jalen Nailor is also a Southern California native.

Payton Thorne, the redshirt-sophomore from Naperville, Illinois is no stranger to the heat either — anyone who has dealt with two-a-days in the August heat and humidity in Illinois can attest to that.

“We have a good plan going forward with our sports science people and our trainers and athletic staff,” Thorne said on Wednesday, per MLive.com. “And I think they prepared us well and we’ll see how it pays off down there in Florida.”

The kickoff forecast for Miami is a high of 88 degrees and a real-feel of 99 degrees, with a 47% chance of showers. Kickoff is set for 12:00PM on Saturday, Sept. 18 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on ABC.