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MSU’s Mel Tucker expects physical game against Iowa: ‘They’re gonna want to win the line of scrimmage’

Spenser Davis

By Spenser Davis

Published:

Michigan State coach Mel Tucker knows what to expect when his Spartans face Iowa this weekend.

“They’re gonna want to try to win the line of scrimmage,” Tucker told reporters at his weekly press conference on Tuesday afternoon. “We must continue to play tough, hard-nosed football, be smart and physical against Iowa.”

Tucker is coming off his first win as Michigan State’s head coach. The Spartans upset in-state rival Michigan 27-24 in Week 2 behind excellent performances from quarterback Rocky Lombardi and receiver Ricky White.

Playing at Iowa can always be be tricky, but the Spartans have had success vs. the Hawkeyes lately. Iowa hasn’t defeated Michigan State at home since 2010 and have lost four of its last five matchups to the Spartans.

There’s also the matter of Iowa’s struggles so far in 2020. Kirk Ferentz’s squad is 0-2 for the first time since 2000 as they’ve dropped winnable games to Purdue and Northwestern to start the season.

Iowa’s offense has been the primary culprit. Quarterback Spencer Petras has been inefficient so far this season, completing just 53.9 percent of his passes at a clip of 5.4 yards per attempt. He also has only one touchdown compared to three interceptions.

If Tucker’s Michigan State squad can be as “physical” as he wants them to be, the Spartans will have a great chance of leaving Kinnick with a win.

Kick off in this game is at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Spenser Davis

Spenser is the news manager at Saturday Road and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.