What they said: Mel Tucker previews game against Michigan

Opening Statement

Thanks everyone for being here today. We all know what this week is. It's not just another game for us. Our players understand that and our staff understands that. Our fans understand that as well. Last week we had a chance to practice three days and also hit the recruiting trail, which was good for us. We're still very well-received out on the recruiting trail. We'll have a productive recruiting class. We're also out in the community last week with our players and staff. Want to thank Darrien Harris for organizing all of those events. Good to see our guys out in the community serving. We had a chance to get our players rested, get some guys back healthy. Get a lot of good work in next week. Introducing the gameplan. Was proud of the way our team responded against Wisconsin. Just really play with intentional focus. Was proud of the way guys stuck together, blocked out the noise. We were able to play six seconds a play, one play at a time for the entire game. Keep chopping and get the win. We met as a team this morning. Continue with our preparation and introducing our opponent. Very focused and intense practice today. No hitting. We'll hit tomorrow and Wednesday. The focus is there and the intent. We know what we have to do within our process to prepare. We're going to need to be tough, disciplined and selfless this week and carry that to the game.

On the earliest memories of the Michigan-MSU rivalry

I just know it was a big game. I don't remember all that much about it but the game was a typical rivalry game. It's important. I remember that. Not sure how much it's changed. It's still a rivalry game. It's still an important game.

On whether MSU can take anything from the 2020 game in Ann Arbor

Just play complimentary football for 60 minutes. Be tough, be selfless, be disciplined. Take care of the football. The week before we played that game, we turned the ball over 7 times. We didn't turn the ball over that week. We were able to get the win.

On teaching the freshmen and transfers about the rivalry

We educate the players and we talked about it more this morning than we did last week. It's just an educational process with the new guys. Don't assume anything.

On the mentality of shocking the world on Saturday

We're preparing to go down there and play a game. What does that take? It takes intentional focus, it takes toughness, discipline, being selfess. That what it takes. Whether you want to call it circle the wagons or a bunker mentality or taking it to the mattresses or us against the world, whatever you want to call it. It is what it is. Nothing has changed, it's always going to be that way.

On Michigan's rushing attack

They have a good line, they're well-coached. Their backs run hard. They can make you miss, they can run you over. They play hard. The receivers block and the tight ends block. They'll formation you. They're going to shift and they're going to motion, make sure you're sound and make sure you can fit the runs. Make sure you're in position. They have a good scheme and they have good players.

On how to keep the focus with two weeks in between a rivalry game

I don't really see any minuses for us. It's just all about the delivery of the information to the players and how it's presented to them in terms of what this game means and things like that. We really didn't roll out the bulletin board material and all the videos and all that stuff until this morning. Even though it's already out there. We rolled that stuff out this morning just from an educational standpoint. The players can get it from us and they don't have to get it from the outside. We build from there. Like I told a player, something you're going to have to embrace, I've been very fortunate to have been a part of some rivalry games whether it's Michigan vs. Michigan State, Ohio State-Michigan, Florida- Georgia, Auburn-Alabama, Green Bay-Chicago, Cleveland-Pittsburgh, Colorado-Nebraska. Those are rivalry games people talk about all year, every year. I've been a part of a significant amount of those. It's really the delivery of the information and the focus of which you take day-to-day within the process and not get ahead of yourself and keep the main thing, the main thing. Which is the preparation. We know when the game is going to be played so we take it one day at a time with an intentional focus. Just relentless preparation and it builds throughout the week. So we can be at our best. Our best 60 minutes is ahead of us. We haven't played our best game yet.

On preparing the younger players for the crowd in Ann Arbor

We'll use crowd noise in practice. We'll show them videos. We'll make it uncomfortable for them in practice and in the meetings so that they're not overwhelmed heading into the game.

On what's different with the Michigan-MSU rivalry

When it's in-state, it's different. You're fighting over the same recruits, you're traveling in the same circles with the alums. Workplaces divided, households divided, things like that. There's bragging rights you talk about every single day. There's not a day that's gone by since I've been here it hasn't come up about this game. When you're in close proximity like that, I think it just adds to the intensity of it.

On whether he thinks about going 3-0 against Michigan to begin his career

It only comes up in a situation like this. If someone brings it up, it's not part of my thinking.

On limiting Michigan running backs' explosive plays

They have really good players so when you're in a position to make the play, you have to be able to make that play. Just generally speaking, versus the run, we have to set edges and build a wall inside. You have to have gap integrity, make sure the ball doesn't run through your gap. Then we have to make sure we don't leave it up to just one guy so we can't go one-for-one on blocking schemes. We have to be able to secure our gap, our initial responsibility, then once the ball challenges your gap, you have to violently shed and finish on the ball so we can get population on the ball and finish on top. Don't leave it up to one guy,, we have to do a really good job on perimeter runs which is on the edges with whoever the support guy is. A lot of times its defensive backs, so have to do a really good job of crack replace. Really good job on block protection on the edges. Staying square, good level and hand placement, getting our outside putback and being able to make sure we don't lose the edge. Keep leverage on formations so we can do a really good job with our motion adjustments. Adjusting to formations, making sure we have good leverage on formations. Make sure everybody knows what gap they have initially but we have to do a good job of violent shedding and getting on the ball so we don't leave it up to one guy. We have to gang tackle and be a population. Form a human arrow on the ball carrier with population, leverage and tackling.

On J.J. McCarthy

He's a really good player. He's very confident, hyper-competitive. Has got a good arm, he believes in his arm and arm strength. He's accurate with the ball. He's very mobile, so he can extend plays, have really good designed quarterback runs for him to take advantage of his speed and quickness. They do a really good job from a scheme standpoint to make sure they take advantage of what the defense gives them in terms of whether it's free access or short, quick throws, screens, things like that. They do a great job of protecting him when they want to take shots down the field, so they step up and help clean the pocket and be efficient. Again, he's got a lot of good players around him. He's a good player with good players around him with good scheme. They play hard and they're well-coached. I think that's why they're playing at a high level.

On when the last time he played or coached inside a packed Big House

Probably in 2001, my first year at Ohio State. We went in there and two years later, it was 2003, Braylon Edwards beat us for the most part.

On how much he's looking forward to playing in an environment like the Big House

This is what big-time college football is all about. This is not for everyone but this is what you love to do so when you get an opportunity and coach on a stage like that, it's special. Not everyone has an opportunity to do something like that, to perform in front of the world. Lay it on the line and put it all out there. That's what our players—that's what they expect to do when you come here to Michigan State, to play on national TV versus great teams on a huge stage. To have an opportunity to perform at your best and put it all out there. That's a great part about doing what we do. It's uncommon. It's an opportunity. Of course, something we look forward to as competitors and knowing that this is the lives that we have chosen, to do things like this. It's really, at this point of the week, it's about one day at a time. How do we prepare for that opportunity? What matters most is what we do today. Certainly, it's a great opportunity and I'm looking forward to seeing our guys play their best 60 of the season.

On the comparison between Michigan-MSU and Auburn-Alabama

Very similar. Very similarly. A lot of similarities. They feel very similar to me, just being part of both of them. There's an intensity to the game just because of the proximity and the in-state. You're recruiting the same guys, traveling in the same circles. The alumni and the former players and everyone, both schools are choosing sides and everyone—I believe there's a respect factor in the best rivalries. There's a respect factor even though there's a dislike and a hatred, there's still underlying respect just because of the rivalry itself and what it means in sports in general. That's a part of it but you also feel a special, like I said, I've been fortunate to been a part of some of those special rivalries in this sport. It feels very similar. They're different, though. I think, for the most part, I think there's some folks that are maybe in the middle. There are families divided, households divided, workplaces divided. That's the great thing about it. I don't know what else to say about it. It's Monday, right? OK. What do you want me to say?

On bye week practices

It was a game-week focus. We didn't hit but we're introducing gameplans and thing like that throughout the week. We also got some recruiting in at the beginning of the week on Monday and then on Friday. Thursday afternoon, we practice in the morning so we were able to get out there and do some things. Get extra time to prepare.