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What Mel Tucker said following Michigan State’s thrilling Peach Bowl win over Pitt
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It was a dramatic finish in Atlanta on Thursday night.
Trailing 21-10 midway through the fourth quarter, Michigan State scored touchdowns on its final two offensive possessions and sealed a 31-21 victory with a pick-six from Cal Haladay to defeat Pitt in the Peach Bowl. With the win, the Spartans finished the season with an 11-2 record.
Wide receiver Jayden Reed was named the Offensive MVP, totaling 80 yards and 2 touchdowns on 6 catches. Haladay was the Defensive MVP with 11 tackles and the pick-six.
After the game, head coach Mel Tucker talked about his team’s resiliency in Thursday night’s bowl game, as well as the course of the 2021 season. He also reflected on his second season, talked about player performances and started looking ahead to 2022.
Here’s what Tucker had to say following Michigan State’s victory over Pitt in the Peach Bowl:
A hoarse MSU coach Mel Tucker at the podium calls it "a great victory for us." The 31-21 win over Pitt gives the Spartans an 11-2 record. "Our guys played extremely hard like they always do. They didn't flinch."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) December 31, 2021
Tucker said Payton Thorne showed a poise and maturity. Said Thorne told him he wasn't accurate and it was because of his footwork and not delivering the ball. "I said, 'Get your feet right, fix your footwork and cut it loose. Just start slinging it.' And he said, 'OK.'"
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) December 31, 2021
Tucker said "the best is ahead" for Thorne and told him "what you did was hard to do."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) December 31, 2021
Tucker said he told MSU players after the game he's "proud of their performance, really happy for the seniors that have given this university so much." Said it was "indicitive of how we played all season and our culture." Calls it "a tremendous victory."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) December 31, 2021
Tucker said it's bea 24-hour rule for him to enjoy victory and then get back to work. "We're gonna train like crazy and work to improve our football team. Our goal is to win every game on our schedule. There's a lot of hard work that needs to be done" before WMU game on Sept. 3.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) December 31, 2021
Tucker: "I felt like our team gave us everything they had in every game and emptied the bucket with extreme effort, played with toughness and resilience, played to win. And that's all you can ask."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) December 31, 2021
Tucker said MSU puts up a 1 when 4th quarter starts to signify "1 minute after the game, what will we be able to say to each other, coaches and players?" Adds team "laid it on the line and gave us everything they had and laid a foundation for how we need to play football here."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) December 31, 2021
Tucker on Reed and Nailor: "They're dynamic players, and they're team guys."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) December 31, 2021
Tucker: "When we have success, we need to continue to understand why we had success and keep building on those things."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) December 31, 2021
Tucker: "The effort was there tonight. There was an element of competitive greatness, and that's being at your best when your best is needed."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) December 31, 2021
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB