Notre Dame Notebook: Jack Coan, Jack Kiser's Purdue Ties, Minimizing Mistakes
News and notes for Notre Dame ahead of its matchup against Purdue.
KISER HAS DEEP PURDUE CONNECTIONS
All the games are meaningful for Notre Dame linebacker Jack Kiser, but playing against Purdue on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. EST at Notre Dame Stadium is another level of special for Kiser a 6 foot 2, 222 pound junior.
His family has deep connections with the Boilermakers.
Kiser went to Pioneer High School in Royal Center, Indiana. That’s about an hour northeast of Purdue. Kiser has numerous relatives who attended Purdue. His girlfriend is currently a Purdue student.
“If you look at my friends, they are all at Purdue. My dad went to Purdue, my uncle went to Purdue, my brother went to Purdue,” Kiser said. “I don’t know, I’ve had countless cousins go to Purdue. I would say Purdue not only in my family but my community is very impactful. It runs very deep. It’s going to be a special game.”
Kiser could’ve been a Boilermaker himself.
He considered signing, along with current 2019 Purdue recruits David Bell and George Karlaftis. Signing Bell, a 4-star wide receiver and Karlaftis, a 5-star defensive end, was a big splash for Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm. That was Brohm’s third recruiting class.
Getting Kiser would’ve made it bigger.
Kiser said he’s friends with Bell and Karlaftis.
“I really liked Coach Brohm and the staff,” Kiser noted. “There was a new wave when they first got there and it was very exciting. Like with the connections (with Karlaftis and Bell), it was very intriguing. I had a lot of interest in Purdue. At the same time, when I stepped into Notre Dame, I knew this was the place for me. I never looked back the moment I went there.”
Kiser said that in “any other situation when Notre Dame is not in the picture, Purdue is the perfect fit.”
JACK COAN'S FINGER IS GOOD TO GO
Quarterback Jack Coan said the finger he dislocated in Notre Dame’s 32-29 victory over Toledo is fine.
Coan hurt his finger in the Irish’s final drive against the Rockets. He hit tight end Michael Mayer for an 18-yard touchdown pass with 1:09 left to give Notre Dame the win.
Coan wasn’t sure how it happened. He watched the film to figure it out.
“I must have hit it on the guy that was coming at me,” he said. “It didn’t look like I hit it on the ground or anything.”
Coan said his finger is “back to normal.”
“I thought it was going to be a lot worse,” he said.
When it happened, Coan was just in a hurry to get it fixed. He knew it wasn’t broken.
Notre Dame trainer Mike Bean took care of the problem, popping his finger back into place.
“I ran over to the sidelines,” reminisced Coan. “I was just looking for someone. He had the awareness. He just got me right out there. It was clutch by him.”
DETAILS MATTER
The Notre Dame defense has perhaps been maligned a little too much. Two turnovers led to 14 points against Toledo though the Kyren Williams fumble in the second half happened deep in Irish territory.
Notre Dame has delivered in the turnover and big play department.
The Irish have forced four turnovers in two games, and Kyle Hamilton’s interception against Toledo that was overturned could’ve stood. The defense has 10 sacks.
They have been guilty of giving up the big play. Notre Dame has given up six offensive plays longer than 25-yards.
Defensive tackle Kurt Hinish said mistakes are going to happen because the team plays fast.
The key is to minimize mistakes and tackle well.
“We’re still a baller defense,” Hinish said. “Have we given up a couple of points? Ya but we’re still a group of ballers and we’re going to be a group of ballers. Like I said, when you play fast things are going to happen. We just need to find the happy medium. We’ll be alright.”
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