EAST LANSING — Mel Tucker broke from typical news conference coach speak and apologized to his mother.
Just in case she was watching him put the blame on himself with a salty descriptor for the problems Michigan State football’s pass defense continues to present.
The latest secondary meltdown came Saturday at the hands of Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in the 21st-ranked Spartans’ 39-28 road loss. The former Indiana star threw for 397 yards and four touchdowns, putting the game out of reach in a first half that Tucker watched back with his staff on the plane and again upon returning to MSU early Sunday and found “exactly what we thought we’d see.