Indiana football seems to have it all.
An undefeated 7-0 record. College football’s premier pregame show, ESPN’s College GameDay, venturing to Bloomington for the Hoosiers’ game against Washington on Saturday. A 63.8% chance at the College Football Playoff, according to ESPN.
But someone the Hoosiers don’t have — sixth-year senior starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke — presents perhaps the team’s biggest obstacle in an otherwise unblemished season.
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti confirmed in his press conference Monday that Rourke won’t play versus Washington but is expected to return during the regular season. The Indiana Daily Student previously reported the news Sunday.
Rourke suffered a thumb injury during the second quarter of Indiana’s 56-7 victory over Nebraska on Oct. 19 inside Memorial Stadium.
The Hoosiers’ offense, however, didn’t skip a beat.
“We always talk about the next man up,” Cignetti said. “Everybody's here for a reason.”
Led by redshirt sophomore backup quarterback Tayven Jackson, Indiana turned its 28-7 halftime lead into a 49-point pummeling. With Jackson at the helm, the Hoosiers replicated their 28-point first-half performance.
Indiana’s offense leads the nation in scoring at 48.7 points per game and ranks No. 5 in total offense with 512.7 yards per contest. Cignetti believes the Hoosiers’ offense will keep rolling with Jackson.
“We have 100% confidence, and the team has 100% confidence, I have confidence, the staff has confidence in Tayven Jackson,” Cignetti said. “I thought he played really well in the second half.”
Jackson, who hails from Center Grove High School in Greenwood, Indiana, went 7 for 8 for 91 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers. He added two rushes for 21 yards.
Indiana scored touchdowns on four of its five drives under Jackson’s guidance, though three of the scoring possessions started in Nebraska territory after the Hoosiers’ defense intercepted Cornhuskers freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola.
After the game, Cignetti said he thought Jackson played well, but still needed to practice better — a difficult task for backups, who don’t get many snaps throughout the week in practice. But now, Jackson will get the bulk of the reps in practice, which Cignetti said will aid his preparation for Saturday.
And Cignetti is confident Jackson’s talent will illuminate against the Huskies.
“He's a guy that's extremely capable,” Cignetti said with emphasis. “I'm sure he'll rise to the occasion.”
Jackson had a chance to prove himself in 2023, winning Indiana’s starting quarterback battle over Brendan Sorsby, now a redshirt sophomore who’s starting at the University of Cincinnati.
But after securing the job ahead of a Week 3 loss to the University of Louisville, Jackson lasted only three games as the unquestioned starter. He and Sorsby alternated snaps in a 52-7 loss at Michigan in Week 7, and Sorsby started the final six games. Jackson didn’t attempt a pass for the remainder of the season.
Still, with the past 10 months spent learning from a new staff in Cignetti, offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan and quarterbacks coach Tino Sunseri, Indiana believes the 6-foot-4, 212-pound Jackson has grown substantially.
“I think you see it during the games when he gets his opportunity, how he's responded, how he responded Saturday,” Cignetti said. “He's a year older. It's a different offense, different system. Tino does a great job developing the quarterbacks. He's got excellent potential. He's gotten better. Now he's got an opportunity — he's got to take it and run with it.”
Cignetti said Dec. 20, 2023, he was excited to see Jackson’s development under Sunseri. Last year, Jackson dealt with instability, as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator Walt Bell was fired after five games. He was replaced by Rod Carey for the final seven games.
Sunseri not only provides a stronger infrastructure, but also a quality communicator with a mind well acquainted to Cignetti’s offense. He’s in his fourth year with Cignetti, who noted his quarterbacks won conference player of the year each season Sunseri’s been on staff.
Shanahan is another important piece. Indiana’s offense is built around the quarterback, Cignetti said, and gives the signal caller an answer on each snap. As a result, quarterbacks continually find success with Cignetti’s staff.
“I just think we do a nice job developing quarterbacks,” Cignetti said. “It's a group effort, team effort. Since Tino has been here, I think he's taken those guys to another level.”
Rourke has been amongst the Big Ten’s best passers. He’s tied for the conference lead with 15 touchdowns and ranks No. 4 in passing yards at 1,941. He boasts a Big Ten-best 188.7 quarterback rating, while his 74.6% completion rate trails only Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel.
Thus, Jackson has lofty shoes to fill — perhaps as big as Rourke’s 6-foot-5, 223-pound frame. But Jackson also has an increased knowledge bank as a result of Rourke’s mentorship, which Cignetti noted Monday.
And when Jackson takes the field at noon Saturday, he’ll do so with Rourke watching from the sidelines — next to Cignetti and the rest of Indiana’s faith-filled staff.
Follow reporters Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and columnist Jhett Garrett (@jhettgarrett) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
