EAST LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Not playing up to Mel Tucker’s expectations, Michigan State dropped their second straight game and first Big Ten game of the year. Minnesota came East Lansing and handed the Spartans a 34-7 loss in front of 74,000 people.

“I give Minnesota the credit as they have a really good football team. They know who they are and they played to their strengths and did a really great job. They are very well coached. They are tough and physical and my hat goes off to them. They played a really good football game,” says head coach Mel Tucker.

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Minnesota came out quick in the first quarter scoring on their first two drives to go up, 14-0. They then made it 17-0 on a 26-yard field goal just five minutes into the second quarter as MSU had a large hole to dig out of from the start.

It was apparent from the beginning that MSU had offensive troubles going three-and-out on their first series. Two straight rushes for four yards and an incomplete pass to Jayden Reed gave Minnesota the ball back. Minnesota then scored again on a long drive for the 14-0 lead.

For the second series in a row, the Spartans went three-and-out with an incomplete pass, two-yard rush, and then an eight-yard sack by the Gophers. Another MSU punt let Minnesota add a third straight long drive. This time the Gophers drove to the MSU eight-yard line and kicked a field goal.

“For us we aren’t good enough on either side of the ball to play complimentary football. We need to get stops on defense and we were terrible on third downs today. We have to get off the field and not stay out there. We aren’t tackling well enough. We had too many low tackles. We aren’t getting enough pressure on the quarterback. It’s too easy for the quarterback,” says Tucker.

Payton Thorne, who struggled last week against Washington, went 17-of-24 for just 132 yards passing and two interceptions. The offense only produced 240 yards with only 38 yards rushing as 23 yards were from Jarek Broussard. Germie Bernard had the lone touchdown reception from Noah Kim on the last drive of the game.

Kim was 6-of-7 on the drive and hit Bernard from 27-yards out with 17 seconds left in the game as the only MSU score.

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Tucker stats, “Offensively, when we get the ball we have to do something with it. When we don’t do something with it we put the defense back out there and that’s not playing complimentary football. When we do move it we turned it over. You can’t win like that.”

Adding to the offensive woes, the MSU defense gave up 508 yards of total offense with 268 coming in the air with Minnesota’s Tanner Morgan going 23-of-26 with three touchdowns. Kendall Brooks did record 18 tackles for the Spartans but the defense didn’t have any sacks or interceptions and only two pass break ups.

“I’m really not happy with what I’m seeing. I don’t accept it. After seeing this game I do understand what are issue are,” says Tucker.

MSU will be back on the road next Saturday for a 3:30 p.m. start at Maryland. The game will be on FoxSports One.