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Here’s what Mel Tucker said during his weekly presser as Spartans prepare for Boilermakers
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Everyone is flying high in East Lansing coming into this week.
Michigan State is fresh off a 37-33 win over Michigan on Saturday and the team is now 8-0 going into its last 4 games. The Spartans are also the No. 5 team in the latest AP poll after that comeback victory.
Their next test will be against the Boilermakers this Saturday, who come into this contest at 5-3. They survived a scare from the Cornhuskers (28-23) to get a bounce-back win after losing to the Badgers the weekend before.
Here’s what head coach Mel Tucker said during his weekly presser going into that game.
Mel Tucker press conference underway. "We put ourselves in a good position heading into the last month of the season. Really, we need to start playing our best football down the stretch here in November. That's what it's really alla bout, November madness."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 1, 2021
Tucker: "This is going to be a week of very focused preparation for us." Says MSU must take its preparation "up a notch or two."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 1, 2021
Tucker: "Our fans have traveled well all season, and we need Spartan Nation to show up for us in West Lafayette."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 1, 2021
Tucker on beating Michigan and the 24-hour rule remaining in place: "You celebrate the game, and you move on. Quickly. … There's no lack of focus here. We've already moved on from the last game."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 1, 2021
Tucker emphasizes "the process" – "more attention to detail, more sense of urgency, more discipline" etc. to handle the pressure of being in contention. "That's what it's all about. This is the stretch, this is Novemeber. This is where we need to be at our best. It's go time."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 1, 2021
Tucker says he does not have any updates on WR Jalen Nailor right now.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 1, 2021
Tucker: "We have to be at our best. It's go time."
— Matt Charboneau (@mattcharboneau) November 1, 2021
Tucker said he had people reach out and talk to him about a "trap game." "I don't know what that is, I don't understand that."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 1, 2021
Tucker: "I have zero tolerance for entitlement." Has Purdue's historical stats against ranked teams and top teams handy. All the way back into the 1950s. "It just goes on and on and on," he adds. "Needless to say, this will be a talking point for MSU this week.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 1, 2021
Tucker: "If anybody thinks they're gonna just roll their helmet out there, they're not gonna go on the trip."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 1, 2021
Also very evident Tucker plans to mention this, as well as the loss at Purdue in 1998 when he was a grad assistant after beating No. 1 Ohio State (which is what I asked him about). The Boilermakers have a history of being the Spoilermakers for the Spartans.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 1, 2021
Tucker has a whole list of scores showing Purdue beating highly rated teams and he's rattling them off. Says that's all he needs for his team to be focused, "It just goes on and on and on. … what more do we need to know?"
— Matt Charboneau (@mattcharboneau) November 1, 2021
Tucker said people aske him about a trap game: "I don't understand that. … they're a good football team. … They're playing at a high level and they expect to win."
— Matt Charboneau (@mattcharboneau) November 1, 2021
Tucker says MSU's staff has to monitor Kenneth Walker III's reps in practice because he is so driven and "would drive himself into the ground" with how hard he goes. "His mental disposition toward competing is at an elite level."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 1, 2021
Tucker: "We told them we have to play our best football in November. It's November madness to us. That was communicated to our football team. We also communicate to them that we haven't come this far just to come this far. We have a lot ahead of us, and Purdue is next."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 1, 2021
Tucker has several times today referenced "November madness," when talking about the importance of the final four games. I think we can all agree this is not among the best of his catchphrases
— Matt Charboneau (@mattcharboneau) November 1, 2021
Tucker says Anthony Russo will be the backup QB this week at Purdue
— Matt Charboneau (@mattcharboneau) November 1, 2021
Tucker nickname alert: DT Jacob Slade is "The Grim Sleeper." Think we may have heard that before, but just in case we haven't.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 1, 2021
Tucker on Charles Brantley: "He's gonna try and put it on you with whatever he's got."
— Matt Charboneau (@mattcharboneau) November 1, 2021