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Published Sep 9, 2023
MSU head coach Mel Tucker 'proud' of team's performance against Richmond
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Brendan Moore  •  Spartans Illustrated
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Michigan State improved to 2-0 after the Spartans took care of business against Richmond.

Head coach Mel Tucker was “proud” of the way his team played today against the Spiders in the 45-14 victory.

“We did not take these guys lightly,” Tucker said. “Give Richmond a lot of credit. It’s a winning program that have a very good coaching staff. The guys played extremely hard. They have some good players. It was really about us and our execution and our discipline. And we started fast on defense. We didn’t start as fast on offense, but we were able to get going. We have a lot of players that can make plays: offense, defense and special teams. We just have to continue to get better, learn from our mistakes, build on things that we did well, and remain focused. We gotta get some guys back healthy because we need everyone. We’re not going to have a 24 hour rule right now. I told those guys, and they all agreed, we get the celebration over in the locker room. Washington’s on the clock.”

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Tucker had positive words for quarterback Noah Kim. He said that he “doesn’t make excuses” and is a “team guy.”

Kim threw three straight incompletions to open the game but bounced back and finished the game 18-for-19 passing after that initial start, throwing for 292 yards and three touchdowns.

“I thought it was a slow start, which is not all on him,” Tucker said. “That’s all of us. I would say he’s a good player. He’s got some talent. He can do a lot of things. You saw his ability to run the ball today. He throws a really nice ball. He stands in the pocket. He’s accurate. He’s got a strong arm. And he’s going to throw the ball to the open man.”

Boise State tight end transfer Tyneil Hopper, or “Hop Daddy” as he’s known in the locker room, had his first touchdown as a Spartan on Saturday. He made a grab on a pass from Kim in the second quarter to cap off an eight-play, 69-yard drive.

“He’s a good player,” Tucker said about Hopper. “He does a good job blocking. He’s got soft hands. That’s why he’s here. We wanted to add to that tight end room. He had an opportunity and he did his job. It was a really good play call.”

The defensive line was one of the more highly praised position groups throughout the offseason by the coaching staff. The depth along the defensive front is something that Tucker has been reiterating in his press conferences.

“(Defensive line coach) Diron Reynolds is doing a really good job with those guys up front,” Tucker said. “They understand that you have to stop the run to earn the right to rush the passer.”

Tucker also mentioned that the defensive line has the ability to rotate in and out four guys at a time because of the strong depth in the room.

Another position group that Tucker likes is the offensive line. He complimented the depth the unit offers this season.

“We have depth on the offensive line,” Tucker said. “We still have competition everyday at practice. We’re going to play the best players. We talked before the game about who’s going to start, who’s the next man up.”

Nate Carter was one of the standout performers for the Spartans against Richmond. He had 19 carries for 111 yards and three touchdowns.

“I thought he had a strong performance today,” Tucker said. “I thought he was productive. That was consistently what we’ve seen from him since he’s been here.”

Carter had to carry a heavy load because Jaren Mangham did not play for the second week in a row after being listed as questionable on the availability report. Jalen Berger also left the game and was escorted into the locker room by training staff after only having two carries.

“We didn’t want to leave it up to just one guy, but [Carter’s] in superior condition,” Tucker said. “He’s very serious about his training and how he takes care of his body. What he does in the weight room and things like that. We need, obviously, more than one back.”

True freshman linebacker Jordan Hall had five tackles against the Spiders. Tucker complimented Hall and he feels “comfortable” putting Hall on the field.

“He’s a good young player,” Tucker said of Hall. “He got here in January, so he went through the winter conditioning program with us, which was about eight weeks, and then 15 spring practices. And he did a good job throughout the entire summer. And so he knows the defense. He’s been playing on special teams. And he’s a guy that we feel comfortable putting in the game because he knows what to do and he is physically capable of making the plays.”

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The Spartans have a big game next week at home against the Washington Huskies. Michigan State will be looking for revenge after the Huskies beat MSU 39-28 in Seattle last season.

“We’re going to be prepared,” Tucker said about the Washington game. “Like I keep saying, we got some good players on offense, defense and special teams. And we have the potential to get better. We’re not as good as we can be yet. They’re very well coached. They got some good players. And we’re going to prepare like crazy for the opportunity. It’s not going to be easy. It’s going to be a tough game. But we’re going to show up.”

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Tucker was asked about how important ball security will be next week against Washington. Against Richmond, Angelo Grose dropped an interception that would’ve set up the Spartans with great field position. Davion Primm and Jordon Simmons both fumbled the ball inside Michigan State territory as well. Tucker had a quick and concise response to the ball security question.

“Ball security is job security,” Tucker said.

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The Spartans matchup against the Huskies is scheduled for a 5 p.m. Eastern Time start with the game being streamed exclusively on Peacock.

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