Mel Tucker announces Michigan State suspensions for brawl with Michigan

Mel Tucker has suspended four Michigan State players for their roles in the Michigan brawl.

Things have certainly gone to hell in a hand basket for the Michigan State Spartans, as head coach Mel Tucker has had to suspended four of his players for their roles in the brawl with Michigan.

While issues have emanated from the Michigan Stadium tunnel in The Big House of late, things escalated quickly during Saturday’s game. This wasn’t Penn State Nittany Lions throwing PB&J’s at Michigan players, it was Spartans full-on jumping Wolverines in the tunnel. Tucker announced Sunday in an official statement that four players have been suspended effectively immediately.

"“Michigan State University football core values include integrity, discipline, unselfishness, toughness, and accountability,” wrote Tucker in a statement. “After reviewing the disturbing electronic evidence collected to date of the altercations between Michigan State and University of Michigan student-athletes on October 29, 2022, we are suspending Tank Brown, Khary Crump, Angelo Grose, and Zion Young effective immediately.”"

Here is Tucker’s official statement on the pressing matter sent out in its entirety on Sunday night.

After its latest defeat, Michigan State has fallen to an absolutely dreadful 3-5 on the season.

Mel Tucker suspends four Michigan State players after roles in Michigan brawl

This was Michigan State’s fourth conference loss on the campaign. Keep in mind that the Spartans won 11 games a year ago, made it to the New Year’s Six and beat ACC champion Pittsburgh in the Peach Bowl. Tucker received a massive contract extension in the wake of his breakthrough season in East Lansing. Now, there is a chance the Spartans finish dead last in the Big Ten East this year.

It may be a huge in-state rivalry game, but the Wolverines were bound to get one past the Spartans at some point. Michigan State has been a thorn in Jim Harbaugh’s side since he took over his alma mater’s program in 2015. This was his first win in the rivalry game since 2019 and the first time his program has defeated Michigan State since Tucker took over the Spartans in 2020.

For now, Michigan is rolling, poised to contend for another Big Ten Championship and beyond that. As for the Spartans, they need to win three of their next four games to even go bowling. They still have to play on the road at Illinois on Saturday and end the season at Penn State. Michigan State must steal one of those road games, as well as beat Rutgers and Indiana at home to get to 6-6.

There’s no other way to look at it, this has been an incredibly disappointing year for the Spartans.

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