One moment, Mel Tucker was slapping Chase Kline on the helmet for jarring the ball loose from Ohio State’s Chris Olave, a fumble Michigan State recovered in the second quarter.
A few minutes later, he was slamming his headset and screaming at Kline in anger after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
“Yeah, I don’t like those,” Tucker said Saturday, gritting his teeth through the frustration. “It’s called discipline.”
The first-year coach said undisciplined penalties — including presnap flags, false starts, too many men on the field calls — are “dumb.” The Spartans had 10 penalties (tied for their most this season, with their game against Michigan) for a season-worst 101 yards in the 52-12 loss to the Buckeyes.