Notre Dame LB Jack Kiser Not Feeling Pressure Heading Into Tallahassee

Tallahassee. Florida State. Notre Dame. Sunday night football. 

Easy trigger words for college football fans across the country. 

Notre Dame linebacker Jack Kiser is no different as the Indiana native is fired up to get the 2021 season rolling. 

"August has been a long month," Kiser said earlier this week. "Everybody is certainly excited to get to Sunday and play some real football in an electric environment down in Tallahassee. 

"I don't know what more you could ask for - Florida State vs. Notre Dame on a Sunday night in primetime. It's going to be huge and everyone is very excited to get there." 

It's expected Kiser will make the start at Rover and while he started a game last year, the 6-foot-2, 222-pounder knows he has to embrace the environment and make plays.  

"I'm super pumped," stated Kiser. "I've been in electric environments - the Georgia game was crazy, but my role was very minimal. Now, to have an expanded role is going to be an amazing experience. 

"Hopefully, I can make the most of it and produce and have good production." 

While he has experience under bright lights, Kiser has also leaned on the veterans in the linebacker room to help him prepare for Sunday's game. 

"We're fortunate to have a lot of depth at linebacker and a lot of older guys," explained Kiser. "I don't have the weight of the world on my shoulders by any means. I have a lot of upperclassmen I can go to. I have a Drew White I can talk to and get a bunch of that experience from. 

"That has allowed my role to be a lot less stressful. At the same time, I do have a significant role and I have to perform and do my job to help lead and give that energy to the defense - be a positive force on the field." 

As for Florida State, the Seminoles offense will look a little different than a year ago and there is also somewhat of a mystery at quarterback as a starter has yet to be named. 

"There's going to be a lot of question marks going into the game," Kiser said of the Florida State offense. "Who is going to start at quarterback is a big one. 

"We do know Florida State is going to throw the kitchen sink at us and throw a lot of different looks to try to catch us off guard. We have to be ready, know our rules and execute our fundamentals and play defensive sound football." 

Sunday will also mark the first game Kiser and his teammates play under new defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman. 

Freeman has brought a new style of defense and while it's a culture based on staying loose, Kiser knows the Irish also have to stay disciplined. 

"We want to perform for Coach Freeman and show was his defensive philosophy can do on a Sunday night," Kiser said. "We're super excited to play with some freedom, make plays and celebrate with him in that fashion." 

Head coach Brian Kelly has also done his part to prepare Notre Dame for the hostile environment that will greet them. 

"If you walk by practice, we have the chant going literally 24-7," said Kiser. "When we get down there, everyone will be ready. That's not going to be a distraction. Everyone is going to be focused on the first snap and getting the game started. 

"I think that's a testament to Coach Kelly. He talked about the Miami game back in 2017 and how we were caught off guard by the environment. I don't think with the upperclassmen we're going to let that happen this year."