Mel Tucker expected, understood fans’ disappointment with season-opening loss to Rutgers

Mel Tucker spent more than eight months preparing for his first game as Michigan State’s new head coach.

The result was a 38-27 loss to Rutgers last week at Spartan Stadium. And the frustrated reaction from Michigan State fans was predictable, given the Scarlet Knights were previously 0-6 against the Spartans since joining the Big Ten and brought a 21-game conference skid to East Lansing.

“That’s to be expected. … When you don’t have success, there’s disappointment,” Tucker said during a videoconference on Tuesday. “There’s disappointment from the coaching staff, there’s disappointment on the players’ side of it and then the fans and everyone involved. Because the expectation is to have success and do that on a consistent basis.”

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Rutgers, which averaged 5.7 points per game in Big Ten play last season, jumped out to a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter and capitalized on seven Michigan State turnovers. The Spartans had five lost fumbles and two interceptions and also two turnovers on downs.

“I think that if we can take away the turnovers, it’s a completely different game,” Michigan State redshirt junior quarterback Rocky Lombardi said on Tuesday. “I don’t think that that game represents at all what we can do offensively and ultimately some of the turnovers hurt our defense too.”

Michigan State’s running game was almost nonexistent with 39 carries for only 50 yards but the Spartans finished with 369 yards of total offense, compared to 276 for Rutgers. Lombardi was 31-for-43 passing for 319 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions while receivers Jayden Reed and Jalen Nailor combined for 17 catches for 212 yards and three touchdowns, to go with three fumbles.

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“We watched the film, we see the things that need to be corrected and put a plan in place to do that and to make sure the players understand where we fell short and then how we can get better and give them a path to success,” Tucker said. “Also, you want to look at the positives and things that you feel that you can build upon and certainly we had some of those in the game. And after you make those evaluations about the previous game, then you quickly turn the page and focus on the next game.”

Tucker stressed the “24-hour rule” in moving on from every game, win or lose. And the next game is obviously a notable one as Michigan State (0-1) is scheduled to play at No. 13 Michigan (1-0) on Saturday (noon, FOX).

“We’re building the foundation,” Tucker said. “It’s a process. There’s some things that we’ve got to get right so we’re looking to get those things right this week.”

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Asked about the team’s defensive performance against Rutgers, Michigan State senior linebacker Antjuan Simmons said he thought they could have done better on third down after the Scarlet Knights converted six of 15 attempts.

“As far as everything else, I’m not even thinking about Rutgers,” Simmons said. “It’s all Michigan from here on out. So, locked in on them.”

Related Michigan State football stories:

Michigan State flopped in Mel Tucker’s debut but 2020 season was always going to be a challenge

Mel Tucker explains Michigan State’s aggressiveness on fourth down

Michigan opens as 23-point favorite over Michigan State

Michigan State’s new-look defense shows growing pains in loss to Rutgers

Jayden Reed shows potential in roller coaster Michigan State debut

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