Mel Tucker challenges Michigan State's run game, talks Big Ten expansion

Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker often prides himself on staying neutral no matter the situation. He is generally very even-keeled, especially in press conference settings.

Once again, this was generally Tucker's demeanor while speaking to the media on Monday. However, there was one particular topic that seemed to fire up the head coach: fixing the run game.

In 2022, the Spartans averaged just 113.0 yards per game (12th in the Big Ten) and 3.8 yards per carry (eighth in the Big Ten).

While the offensive line had its struggles last season, the problems in the running game are much deeper than that. Being able to run the ball effectively means that every player on the offense is doing their job correctly: quarterbacks making the right checks, offensive linemen executing the blocking scheme, tight ends and wide receivers blocking on the edge/outside, running backs showing good vision and hitting the holes in a timely fashion, etc.

If the run game struggles again in 2023, Tucker is going to be placing blame on more than just the offensive line.

"We need to be able to run the ball better on a more consistent basis with all the groups that are in there," Tucker said. "That's tight ends blocking, that's running backs (doing their job). Listen, this season, when people ask me about the run game — because it's not always what you want — I'm not going to put it all on the offense line. I never have."

While redshirt sophomore running back Nathan Carter has been credited with breaking a couple of big runs in both last Saturday's scrimmage and Monday's practice, Tucker wants to see more consistency in the running game, and wants to see better execution from the offense as a whole.

One thing Tucker did like was a crucial block by redshirt freshman wide receiver Antonio Gates Jr. to spring Carter for a touchdown during Monday's practice.

"Today (Monday), I'm watching practice, and if a tight end misses his block, everybody on the O-line's got their block made, and we (still) can't run the ball. Or if the running back doesn't hit the hole right — we've got a hole there, he doesn't hit it — the hole's not gonna be there forever. We're playing Power Five football. So it takes all (of us). Today, (Antonio) Gates Jr. made a huge block on (Nathan) Carter's big run. He doesn't even score if he doesn't go in there and dig out that safety."

As mentioned, it's also the quarterback's job pre-snap to make sure the play that is called is set up to work, or check into something else. Everybody on the offensive unit needs to execute their assignment to have a successful play. It takes a collective effort.

"So, the run game, and you've gotta get the checks right," Tucker said. "We're not just going to run the ball over there when they've got too many (defensive) guys over here (on one side). We need to run over here or do something else. So it's a whole package and everybody contributes to the run game. We need to run the ball better, but we're making progress."

It isn't just the offensive side of the ball where Tucker wants to see improvement, though. Defensively, the Spartans have put an emphasis on stopping the run first and foremost.

Last season, MSU allowed 178.6 rushing yards per game, which ranked No. 102 in the FBS and No. 12 in the Big Ten. It is vital that the Spartans find a way to stop the run in 2023, and do so in a way in which the team doesn't have to sacrifice its pass coverage by bringing a safety closer to the line scrimmage.

"We need to stop the run better in split-safety defense," Tucker said. "We just can't drop a safety down all the time and think we're gonna stop the run that way. We need to be in split-safety defense and play big-boy ball and be able to knock guys back and control blockers and throw them on the ground and finish on the ball with maybe one linebacker in the box, so we can take some pressure off our back end a little bit."

Michigan State used the offseason to bolster the defensive line through the transfer portal, adding redshirt sophomore Tunmise Adeleye (Texas A&M), sixth-year senior Jalen Sami (Colorado), sixth-year senior Jarrett Jackson (Florida State), and redshirt senior Dre Butler (Liberty). The Spartans also added a trio of four-star defensive ends in 2023 signees Bai Jobe, Jalen Thompson and Andrew Depaepe.

Meanwhile, MSU returns several players along the defensive line as well, such as redshirt sophomore Derrick Harmon, redshirt junior Simeon Barrow Jr., redshirt senior Maverick Hansen and many others.

Tucker likes the added size, depth, talent and experience in the defensive line room.

"We've got a huge defensive line right now," Tucker noted. "If we can get these guys to the game, we should be stout, and we got our linebackers back and they're nice-sized dudes. So, run game on both sides of the ball, I just want to know exactly what to expect when we go out there and play in the first game. Right now, I'm not exactly sure."

Of course, one of the biggest talking points in the college football landscape as of late has been conference realignment. Current Pac-12 programs Oregon, Washington, UCLA and USC will officially join the Big Ten in 2024 as the conference continues to expand.

Tucker was asked about his opinion on the Big Ten's expansion and what it means for Michigan State moving forward. He sees it as a positive for competition, recruiting and exposure.

"I think it's good for the Big Ten," Tucker said about conference expansion. "It makes us stronger. When you're recruiting players, high school guys or portal guys, who you play is a big draw for them. You just think about what type of schedules were gonna have and what type of football and what type of competition it's gonna be week-in and week-out. So it's a huge stage. It's getting better."

While the competition both on the field and on the recruiting trail will heat up even more for Michigan State, Tucker believes this is all a positive development for MSU and the Big Ten as a whole. The strength of the conference matters.

"It's gonna be even more competitive on the field," Tucker said. "It's gonna be more competitive in recruiting. It just makes our league stronger, makes our league better. It's important. You'd be surprised how many players, how many recruits we talk to, and they talk about SEC versus Big Ten. It always comes up."

Tucker was also asked about "separating the men from the boys." While he and the rest of the staff get ready to start making decisions on Michigan State's depth chart following this Saturday's scrimmage, he isn't necessarily looking to separate players on his roster that way.

The players in the two-deep will reveal themselves soon enough, but everybody on the roster needs to be ready. For the Spartans, every player needs to be prepared to play, whether you're a true freshman, walk-on, veteran or otherwise. That is how Tucker and his staff coach.

"Every day we're trying to separate guys (on the depth chart)," Tucker said. "We try to put them in position, and I haven't really seen anyone back down. I've actually seen guys get tougher out there. It's gonna be interesting to see how much improvement we make this week and then in the scrimmage (this coming Saturday) because that's when I really start honing on like, who are the guys, who can make plays? You may call that separating the men from the boys, we actually really need everyone to be good. That's the only way we can have a good team."

Tucker does not want his team of over 100 players consisting of only a small percentage of individuals who can get the job done if their name is called. While there will be "separation" in terms of the two-deep versus the scout team, every player is practicing and training the same way.

Players will have a chance to move up the depth chart throughout the rest of fall camp and during season as well, if they show that they're capable in practice.

"We can't have these 30 and 40 guys over here who can play and all these others (who can't play)," Tucker explained. "We've got 115 guys out there and we travel with like 70 dudes ... We don't even coach like that. So I don't even want the 'men' over here and the 'boys' over here because that's how we get beat. We need everybody to be over here (ready to play). So that's why every day is important. We can't stop coaching all the guys. 'Coaching all the guys' is not a joke for us ... So we've gotta have everybody ready to go."

Also of note, Tucker was asked how he prepares his team throughout various elements in fall camp. The heat has been relatively mild throughout August thus far, but that hasn't stopped the Spartans from accomplishing what they need to accomplish.

Getting his players in the best condition possible, while keeping them healthy and preparing them for different situations, is a top priority for Tucker.

"We have to be prepared to play in everything," Tucker said. "A couple years ago, we knew we were going to Miami, so during camp, it wasn't hot enough. We went indoors and turned the heat up to get that work. We'll do whatever is necessary to make sure the guys are prepared. The number one thing we have to be is best-conditioned, mentally and physically."

Tucker said that he has changed his philosophy a bit when it comes to how to get players conditioned. In the past, he may have felt that it was better to train players in 90-degree heat and have them cramp up, use IVs and go through the whole process, but he no longer feels that way because the technology and information has changed.

Tucker praised the job that Dr. Bill Burghardt, MSU's director of sports science, has done. The team uses heart-rate monitors, load management techniques and other tracking devices to see how players are doing.

"We've got heart-rate monitors on these guys and we know if they're in shape, if they're not in shape and how fast they recover and things like that," Tucker said. "We try to keep their loads manageable so they can play fast. We're playing fast. We have more guys playing faster in practice than we've had the last three years, more guys hitting high-speed reps more often throughout the practices. That's very important. I feel like we're in pretty good shape right now."

Of course, the number one priority for Tucker and the staff is health. After being decimated by injuries in 2022, the Spartans have taken several steps to limit injuries in 2023. For example, throughout fall camp, MSU has wanted to limit the amount of times players are going down to the ground on tackles.

While the depth of the team has greatly improved, Michigan State cannot afford another season like 2022 in terms of injuries.

"We have to stay healthy and continue to get better and practice hard and be physical," Tucker said. "But we have to keep guys on the field so we can get better. We have enough good players to be good. We just don't have enough good players to have a lot of guys hurt and still think we're gonna be good."

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Discuss this article in our premium forums by clicking here.

You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

For video content, including our Red Cedar Radar podcast, find us on YouTube and consider subscribing.