Be. Following is a presentation of play Fly Sports properties. Guys, they're
trying to curdle the goal line. What is the good? You know,
Pat Shapo up here comes this button. Now the side Gli shown that.
Now, I'm just really Impressedble and you turn on the tape and you see
how they play again with football. Yep, I love it. Comments from
head coach Mel Tucker from Michigan State Football spartans. This is SPARTA. I'm
your host Jason Strayhorn along with my co host Jayu toch Culchrik. How you
doing, Jai? You good? It's game week. It's we're here,
big ten opener, Baby, Let's get ready to rock Minnesota. Golden Gophers
come to town. As we turned the page from a week Agos lost out
West to the Washington Huskies, we look forward now to the Golden Gophers and
Golden Gophers coming in three and zero. PJ. Fleck. We know how
inspirational he is and how he's got his team rolling right now, especially on
that ground game. Yeah, Coach Fleck is a great motivator. You saw,
you know, the people around the area here listening to this. You
know they saw what he did with the Western Michigan Broncos and then he took
his talents to Minnesota with the gold and they're gonna come in. They're gonna
come in ready to play. You know, they'll be on top of the
world. They're three and zero with big like big wins, dominant wins.
But it's a Big ten opener. You know, they think the Spartans will
still be licking their wounds a little bit, but they're coming into a hostile
environment here at Spartan Stadium at the Woodshed, so it'll be excited. So
important for Michigan State to be able to make those corrections that happened a week
ago, turn the page and have a short memories. You talked about having
a memory like a goldfish. Yeah, definitely, and that is something that
is very important for them to do and I think they will. I think
they that's behind them. It's Big ten play now. It's almost a reset
of the season. Yeah, definitely another reset of the season for Michigan State
as Big ten play now opens up and these all count even though it's against
a Western opponent, but it's Big ten play now and this is for all
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Mary Ferry restrictions to apply and for the statistics. For a week ago with
the Golden Gophers, they faced the Colorado team that they played a year ago,
and they won, but this time it seemed a little bit more of
a dominant performance, winning forty nine to seven at home, amassing five hundred
total yards of offense, three hundred and thirty four of those on the ground.
Yeah, it was just a dominating win, a win that you know,
if you're a better team, that's what you're supposed to do and that's
how you're supposed to do it. So it's definitely a confidence boost of four
Minnesota. And the thing that really strikes me is that yardage that they gained
on the ground. Their identity is run the football. Minnesota's identity has always
been running football. When you go all the way back to Lawrence Moroney,
Mary and Barber, those type of guys. That's the identity of Minnesota,
Golden gold for football is pounding the rock and run to win. So they're
going to come in here. It's just sportan statum this Saturday with that mindset
of running the football. It's what we can do defensively and what can we
scheme up to make them throw the ball and be one dimensional. Yeah.
A year ago Golden Gophers ran for two hundred and seventy seven yards on the
Colorado Buffalo's, averaging five point two of Carrie. This year's same team,
they go three thirty four with a six point four average, graduating four offensive
lineman off of this line a year ago. This line seems to be better
than as advertised even a year ago. Mel Tucker saying, this is the
strength of the p from Minnesota. Yeah, it definitely is the strength of
the program. You know, just like every just like we say with our
team, you're only going to go as far as the offensive line is gonna
take you. And this Minnesota's offensive line, they relish the fact that they're
the strength of the program. They're the strength of the of the offense.
So you're gonna see them coming in with a sense of pride, sense of
confidence that they can impose their will on opposing defenses. When you have a
great Russian attack, it makes for a great passing attack. But your third
down efficiency when you look at what they did and we could go against the
Colorado Buffalo's Buffalo's only one of twelve on third down conversions going vo first,
thirteen of fifteen, a lot of those coming in short yardage, third and
short situations. Being able to just punch it through. Yeah, you know,
when you when you have a stat like you know, thirteen or fifteen,
you know that you're playing a clean game offensively. You're putting yourself in
manageable situation. You're never behind the chains, and it's a lot easier to
call for an offensive offensive coordinator when you're in It's a lot easier to call
third and two thirty three as opposed to third and twelve, third and fifteen.
But my question for you, Jason is, you know, we talk
about the strength of being the offensive line, and they came in over three
hundred yards on the ground. What's the mindset of an offensive lineman when you're
just mashing your opponents and your running backs having success. You know, that's
what all offensive linemen want to do anyway, is run the ball. It'd
much rather run block than pass block, if you be quite honest about it.
And when you're having success and doing that, you just you're looking at
the sideline, You're pointing to the press box at your offensive coordinator, and
you're asking them to keep feeding the guys, keep running it, keep running
the ball, because you are demoralizing that front seven, front six, front
seven, front eight, whatever they're putting in the box in front of you,
you're demoralizing them because that's the last thing a defense once is to continually
get smashed. Be on the ground, knockdowns, pancakes, cut all those
things that offensive linemen can do and having their toolbox, and while you're gaining
six point four yards per carry, that means you're you're you're dominating the ball
game, you know. So I think that they have this going. They
have a mojo going right now over in Minneapolis, and they're gonna try to
bring that on the road and see if that travels. Is Michigan State defensively
has been okay against the run. That's one thing that I think is a
positive for Michigan State. Is that the matchups will be more strength on strength
because you're going to bring a running attack into a team that's pretty good against
the run. Missis State obviously has issues in pass game, so we'll see.
I don't I don't expect for PJ. Fleck to change his strife and
say let's let's go into an air raid attack right now. But they will
test Michigan State secondary. Don't don't make don't don't make any mistakes about that.
They will test the secondary. But they are going to come in with
their bread and butter, and that's running that ball downhill and trying to demoralize
Michigan State's front six, front seven, front eight in that box. Yeah,
you have to do what what got you to the dance. You know,
if running the football is what got you to the dance, you have
to stick with that. But you know, with that said, I'm looking
forward to this matchup the offensive line versus Michigan State's defensive line for you know,
to see what we can do schematically, you know, to stop that
run, to frustrate Minnesota into throwing the ball. But like you said,
you know, don't you know, Michigan Minnesota will you know, test us
in the air a few times just to make sure, Hey, you know,
are they do they have their confidence or not. Yeah, that's that's
one thing that will definitely be tested. And as long as the resume,
as coach Tucker said, is on film right now, the Michigan State secondary
is a huge question mark for everyone around the country, and they'd be amiss
to not try to tow the ball up grabs every now and then. Although
Minnesota does lose their number one receiver, Chris Altman Bell for the season with
a knee injury in the win over the Colorado buff Yeah, it's unfortunate when
anybody goes down, especially for a season ended injury. You know, it's
a definitely a punch and a gut to those guys their fan base, similar
to what it was for us when when Snow went out and X went out
as well, and last week when we played without Reid and Slade. So
football, you know, the injuries come along with it. You know,
you know that going into it, but it's unfortunate when it's a season ended
injury and may possibly affect your career down the road. But you know,
you know, the funny that we were talking about, you know, running
the ball. I wouldn't be surprised if they came out and just you know,
went all verticals first play of the game, just to see what's happening,
you know, to see if they practice alway, Yeah, exactly,
just to make sure, just to keep them up. I think that would
be fun. You know. You know, the plunter for Minnesota was pretty
tired, was restless on the sideline. I only had one plump. We'd
go that. We talked about it Thursday to fifteen and third down convergence.
Special teams is that gonna come into play here? I know we talked about
what the predictions were. What are your predictions for this game going forward here
from Minnesota and misign State in the big Yeah, it's definitely gonna be Special
teams will play a big part in it because Big ten games. Now you
know your opponents. It's Big ten football versus Big ten football. You know,
there's not much you know, like last week it was Pac twelve.
They have a more finesse conference and Big Tens and more power. This is
power on power. It's gonna be not as high score, It's not gonna
be a sexy game like people you know, want to see sometimes. That's
why I think special teams is gonna be huge on this, and if it
comes to special teams, I think the Spartans have the advantage in the special
teams department. You know, this may be one of those games where the
Spartans are in one of those ben but don't break situations. It may look
bad at times in between the twenties. I think that Golden Gophers, they
pride themselves on winning the time of possession battle last week thirty six minutes seven
seconds to go to the Colorado Buffalo's twenty three minutes. Le misis State's fine
with that because of the weapons they have on the outside, being able to
get vertical with players like Keon Coleman, Trey Moseley, Daniel Barker as a
tight end, and hopefully the emergence are the return of Jaden Reeders. Yeah,
definitely, we're okay playing that bend, but don't break defense. And
we've done that. We did it, you know a couple of times,
you know against Style Washington last week with those two goal line stances. But
with that comes you know defenseive's tired. Now your offense has to go out
there and do some type of some type of sustain it on offense, they
have to get a drive going. It can't be three and out or yeah,
we want to see the quick one time shot and you know, a
big touchdown. But your defense you got to keep in mind now your defense
has to go back out they're tired. Yes, definitely want to make sure
you monitor the conditioning and the defense whether or not going to be as big
of an issue going forward in Big Ten play, especially in the Midwest now
as the temperature starts to turn and drop a bit on the Big Ten season.
But when you look at what Michigan State's going to have to do,
it's that turnover Beth. Michigan State right now has zero interceptions on the season.
Lots of fumble causing plays and fumble recoveries, but no interceptions. Is
a game where they off of that snide and come up with an interception finally,
you hope so and if the interceptions are coming in, you know that
Minnesota's deviated from their plan of running the football a little bit and they're going
to the air. So hopefully you know that's a good sign. You know,
if they're if they're try going that way and Uh, but I think
you know it'll come. The interceptions will come. You just have to be
patient with it. The dbs have to just play their techniques and the biggest
thing is just stay the course. I think one of the things that is
a key to victory for Mischigan State is being able to play fast and attack
a type of ball football, especially from the offensive side of the ball.
I think we have to come out if there's a if you win the toss,
take the ball, try to squire, don't defer, and let them
go down the field and and and inject their dominance and dominance on the team,
on the game. And so you need to go out attack and score
and score quickly and put them in a position where they get to be one
dimensional. Have to do something that they don't like to do. Weill is
throw the ball around. You want to put them in a panic position on
the road in a tough environment with that deep in cheering, loud, the
band playing the music going, all those things. That's what you need to
do. If you're misign State against a team that can control the ball and
move it, move those chains like Minnesota can do. You want to keep
them off of the field and then when they are on the field, you
want them to do things that they're uncomfortable doing. Yeah, I agree with
making them uncomfortable, but I totally I disagree with you one hundred percent on
you know, if you win the toss, take the ball. I'm big
opponent of deferring. And the reason I say deferst because I always I always
like to steal an extra possession in that late in that second quarter, so
you possibly get the ball back in some fashion score and then you get the
ball again at the end at the start of the second half. That's still
in a possession there. And I think if you defer, there's nothing wrong
with that. You can assert your dominance defensively. You have a quick three
in out, the crowd's still gonna go crazy. It's gonna go nuts.
What has to happen is the spartans on the field have to get the crowd
into the game early, and that's what's gonna carry that momentum Minnesota. The
reason I don't like deferring against a team that's on a roll like Minnesota is
right now is because they come in what they scripted first fifteen plays and it
doesn't matter what the defense gives you this is what you're running, and it's
very well oiled and fast paced. The calls come in very easy, and
when you don't have any score, you know, they continue to do that.
When there is a quick score and there's some scrambling going on, and
then maybe you know there's oh wait, wait a minute, we're down by
set a touchdown, we're down by ten points. They deviate from that script
and now it becomes, hey, you got to be a great play caller.
And I think that Michigan state the cards and as a whole opponent against
Minnesota's offensive coordinator with PJ Flett coming in town, wanting to do what they
do, but they are not a type of team that's gonna get vertical and
throw it on you all day long. That's not what they want to do.
But I do agree with kind of still some possessions laing that ball game
because it is no doubt going to be a smash mouth, close, big
ten matchup. James, Yeah, it definitely is. And you know you
can still you know, if we get the ball first, we score,
they're still going to stick to their script. It's still early in the game,
you know. I think the big thing is the crowd in Spartan Stadium.
That's gonna be the deciding factor there. If these guys are put in
an uncomfortable position like coach talkers away and dragging them to the deep end.
We have to do that early. And the crowd plays a big, big
role in that. The woodshed has to be packed. The student sections have
to show out, come out, and the other fans. You should not
be sitting down on any third down. You should be up getting the team
into it. And that right there will derail the players. It doesn't matter
what's called, you know, what the offensive coordinator calls. If the players
on the field feel that energy, that's gonna play a fact. Yeah.
You know, when you look at what Michigan State was able to do from
a penalty standpoint going into the Washington game, one of the lowest penalized teams
in the nation, I think, giving up seventy yards in penalties on the
road in Washington. Showed and moved the chains a bit for the Sparts and
also sustained some drives for Washington. A very questionable rough in the passer call
early on against Ben's Summer Van Simmerin and Minnesota comes in very low in the
penalty department. We could go four penalties for just twenty five yards. Yeah,
you know those penalties that you spoke about in Washington, some of them
more very questionable penalties, you know, like you just stated. But yeah,
these these are two disciplined teams. They're gonna be playing each other.
So it's gonna come down to whoever blinks first. You don't want to be
the one to blink first because that's when that mishaps gonna happen. And it's
gonna come down to you know, like I said, the special teams.
These are very two disciplined teams. And well, we're gonna see that on
Saturday. We definitely aren't gonna see that. It's gonna be an exciting game
in the woodshed. Its gonna be some ticket giveaways, Jayu. I imagine
that this is spot as going to put out some information here soon and you're
gonna get to meet with Jayu over in Tough Toown to pick up some free
tickets if you wanted to win. Oh definitely, there will be ticket giveaways.
Come to tuck Town check it out. Uh, there's DJs games for
the kids, yard games, cornhole, foling, lots, of food trucks,
great foods. You can even been go and look check out the broadcast
for w j R, the pregame broadcast. Uh, the whole concert stage
up there, I've seen it. Yeah, lots of you can take a
picture in front of the big Spartan sign. Uh. You know. So
it's a it's a really cool, unique atmosphere that you know that a lot
of families will really enjoy. Very kid friendly over there if you, you
know, want to get away from all the debauchery that can happen in some
of those places out there with the adult membages. When the kids want to
throw the ball around and have a good time, that's the place to do
with Tucktown presented by Meyer ju Culchrid from This is Sparta in the Spartan Media
Network will be there doing ticket giveaways for lucky winners who ended to win.
They attention to our social media this week on Twitter and this is Sparta MSU
and as well as the Instagram. This is Sparta m su. Uh.
But Jayu. Any final comments before we wrap this edition of the preview for
the Minnesota Big Ten opener in the Woodshed. Yeah, I'm just looking for
the Spartans to bounce back and bounce back in a good way. And I
think we'll see that. Come out to the game, cheer loud and yell
go Green. That's right, go white, and it's that is perfect.
We need to get the Spartan nation out in full force to cheer on the
Michigan State football team against the Golden Gophers of Minnesota and the Big Ten opener
in the Woodshed at three. I let's say get there early, get there
about one PM. Let's start cheering loud. It's gonna be a later kickoff
in the evening. The Michigan State obviously now another underdog at home. As
far as the Vegas odds are, if you're into that kind of thing,
if you're into that kind of thing, that listen, there's a lot of
people into that kind of thing. Will all use you know, these apps
or whatnot they get into nowadays. But look, I think it's another way
for Michigan State to put a chip on their shoulder and come out and perform
better than they did, and we could go on the road they did to
be in a comfortable place at home in the Woodshed, and Michigan State should
win this ball game. If things go as we know that they can as
far as a talent perspective, and I know how hard they're going to be
being coached all week long this week. So this is gonna put a bow
on another episode of This Is Sparta. I'm your host, Jason straight On
and for ju Culchrik, we'll see you next time. Have a good night,
God bless and go Go White.