The Michigan State Spartans improved their record to a perfect 3-0 for the first time since 2015 on Saturday afternoon, taking down the No. 24 ranked Miami Hurricanes in Florida by a 38-17 final score. Quarterback Payton Thorne was 18-for-31 for 261 yards, with TD passes to Kenneth Walker III, Jayden Reed and twice to Jalen Nailor.
Following the victory, head coach Mel Tucker was rather frank in stating what his team’s goal was coming into this afternoon’s game.
“We wanted to drag them into the deep water,” Tucker told reporters post-game. “Where we live. With the strain and the struggle and the pressure.”
For the second year head coach of the Spartans, this afternoon was a statement win. He had been preaching to his players all week that today would be a grind-it-out style fight of a game, and they delivered. Needless to say, it reinforces the message he’s been preaching since arriving in East Lansing.
“What does (the win) say about our program” Tucker replied when asked about the message delivered. “It’s going to reinforce all the things that we preach.”
“It was a good team win for us on the road against a good opponent,” he continued “Credit to our entire organization … everyone had a part in this. We had a lot of challenges that we knew we would have to overcome to get this done.”
The Spartans will host Nebraska next weekend and look to improve to 4-0.
– – Quotes via Football Scoop Link – –
