Tykee Smith Previews Covering Missouri Offense
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00:00 >> Next up, Taiki Smith, please raise your hand and
00:03 we'll bring a microphone around to you.
00:05 >> Yeah, Taiki, over here.
00:15 I've noticed several of your biggest plays,
00:17 a couple of your interceptions you've been playing underneath coverage.
00:20 That's probably only allowed due to the safety play that you have behind you.
00:24 So just speak to the safety,
00:25 the safety net that you have behind you and how it kind of is wrong.
00:30 >> So my job on that is just standing on the knee so
00:32 the ball elevated that kind of let the hair city go make a play on that and
00:35 I got anything.
00:36 I need some playing like a little technique man kind of technique.
00:40 >> Two questions, I just want to make sure you're okay.
00:45 So I mean, obviously you finished the game, but
00:47 I think you dug there pretty good for a minute.
00:50 I'm sure you're aware of the relationship between Dominick and
00:53 Luther Burden and I'm sure you'll be heavily involved with trying to defend
00:58 Luther Burden.
00:59 So can you just talk about that situation but
01:02 first address your health and then and my challenge.
01:06 >> Definitely good, just shaking up a little bit.
01:08 Knocked the wind out of me a little bit with a little headache, but
01:11 up and down was good.
01:12 But yeah, definitely, I think I'm gonna try to use,
01:16 I think Luther kind of went into a dominant, Dominic was his spot man.
01:21 When he left and came here, so definitely looking forward to that match up.
01:24 >> To your left, considering every game, including SEC Championship game last year,
01:30 except the Mizzou game was won by double digits.
01:33 How did that game and the way you won it down 10, under 10 to go,
01:36 help you beat Ohio State when things were tight and close?
01:40 >> Just being able to overcome adversity,
01:44 a lot of adversity that game went with Missouri last year.
01:47 Definitely was a tough environment to play, but
01:49 I think any real game in the SEC is a tough environment to play in.
01:52 So just seeing the team come together, not bow our heads,
01:55 being able to battle it and come back.
01:58 So when Ohio State moment came,
02:00 we definitely lived in that moment when we played Missouri, so we knew how to handle it.
02:04 >> We saw Jalen Walker make some plays in that game on Saturday.
02:09 Just what was that like as a teenager to see him have that success?
02:12 And how have you seen him sort of grow over the course of this year?
02:15 >> Definitely needed him to come on big.
02:17 Probably the way he played on Saturday and the impact he made to the game.
02:20 Wish he would have kind of been, as he went after the ball, so
02:24 only if he had recurred it.
02:25 So definitely for him to put them behind the sticks, probably the way he comes along,
02:29 gonna keep him to come along with him being able to pass the rest of the way he do it.
02:32 >> Thank you.
02:35 >> On the opening drive, Florida got the ball to Wilson a lot cuz they moved him
02:39 around a lot.
02:39 Two-parter, how'd y'all adjust and stop that?
02:42 And how much does Missouri try to do that with Bird and also with Wilson?
02:47 >> I think Florida did a good job there for a drive, using a lot of number three.
02:52 Like I said, we made a couple adjustments with that.
02:55 They ended up recovering and making different adjustments.
02:59 Kind of know what he is and know what they wanna do with him.
03:01 And I think they came back there later in the game and
03:04 Javon Bullard made a good hit.
03:06 So I think they're gonna do a lot of that with the Bird and
03:08 or Theo Weese, but they got a couple good receivers.
03:11 So just looking forward to the game today.
03:14 So we're gonna get started on it today.
03:15 [BLANK_AUDIO]
03:20 >> With that Florida game, that was the second game in a row where you guys give
03:23 up a touch in the opening game and it seems like the defense sort of settles.
03:26 What does it take for everybody to kind of walk in after something like that and
03:30 not panic and then play the way you guys have the last two games?
03:33 >> So I think the play that teams had to set something good,
03:35 so they're gonna try to come back to that.
03:37 So as they had that good first drive, kind of going to the sideline,
03:40 making adjustments, knowing what they're gonna try to come back to and
03:43 knowing what they're gonna try to attack us with.
03:44 So just knowing how to approach it and knowing how to handle it.
03:47 So I think once we got to the sideline, we talk over and
03:50 know how to go about it from there.
03:51 [BLANK_AUDIO]
03:54 >> Tuck, do you remember the first time you went up against Ladd at a Georgia practice
03:57 when you transferred here?
03:59 And what was it like to see him out there Saturday performing like you did,
04:02 given the back injury he had?
04:03 >> Yeah, my first time going up against Ladd, and I got him that 2021 summer.
04:06 So I think this was at the Ladd rare shirt year.
04:10 So we had a couple receivers banged up.
04:12 A number of Georgia pickings went down.
04:13 I think Jermaine Brim went bad with an injury from that spring.
04:16 So Ladd got an opportunity to make the most of it, and
04:19 had an excellent season that season.
04:22 And that also, just seeing him being able to go out there,
04:25 come back off his back injury, was real exciting.
04:27 Knowing what he was able to do, and he's a big part of the offense, so
04:31 glad that he stepped up.
04:32 >> I assume you were able to go against Dejan and
04:36 just been just there to support you.
04:39 What's it like to play against him?
04:40 What makes him such a difficult back for other teams to defend?
04:43 >> Just being able to sustain, holding the gap,
04:46 being able to keep kind of making gaps before the gap is made.
04:50 So you'll see it's kind of hard to tackle, cuz you barely know where he at.
04:54 Cuz he able to cut and he just, I don't know, he's real shifty.
04:58 So he can make you miss, and you don't really know, and he can run with power.
05:00 So it's real hard going against a guy like that.
05:03 >> Yeah, Tyke, question about this scholarship.
05:07 Do you wear it all week long, or just around the building, or
05:10 you just wear it when you get a warning?
05:12 >> Right, no, you wear it all week long.
05:15 So I have it all this week to after the game against Missouri, and
05:18 then the DBs will vote on who we think had the best week,
05:21 all the DBs that week, and present it to them then.
05:23 >> Yeah, it's a guy who's probably matched up against him in practice.
05:29 What makes Marcus, where as me, Jackson, such an effective blocker?
05:34 Marcus, strong hands, physical at the point of attack, and you're not small.
05:38 So definitely gotta make sure you got your stuff strapped up when you're going up
05:41 against Marcus, especially on a blocking time.
05:44 [BLANK_AUDIO]
05:50 >> More questions for Tyke?
05:51 [BLANK_AUDIO]
05:55 >> Did you say that the DBs vote themselves for that award?
05:58 >> Yeah, the DB group vote on what DB they think should have it.
06:02 >> In the locker room, right after the game?
06:04 >> Yeah, right after the game.
06:06 >> Okay, is it like a secret ballot or what?
06:08 >> [LAUGH] >> Show of hands?
06:14 >> I mean, so we probably had to like, this week it was out of me and
06:17 Kamari, and then we kinda stepped away and let it go from there.
06:20 >> Thanks.
06:23 >> All right, thank you, Tyke.
06:24 We'll see you next week.
06:25 [BLANK_AUDIO]