Skip to content

Ad Disclosure

Curt Cignetti praises work of Tayven Jackson, delivers update on Kurtis Rourke

Cory Nightingale

By Cory Nightingale

Published:

Curt Cignetti’s 16th-ranked Indiana team cruised in a 56-7 beatdown of Nebraska on Saturday afternoon in Bloomington, improving to 7-0 and continuing its run as one of college football’s darlings of 2024.

But that doesn’t mean everything went perfectly for the Hoosiers. Because it didn’t.

Indiana starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke injured his right hand, which is his throwing hand, and was taken out of the game in the 2nd half in favor of Tayven Jackson.

According to Cignetti, Rourke hit his thumb on a helmet and “the nail kinda came off,” he said. Cignetti said he would know more about the injury on Sunday but that he’s optimistic it’s nothing serious.

The senior Rourke completed 17 of 21 passes for 189 yards with 1 TD and 1 interception. He threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Myles Price to give the Hoosiers a 14-0 lead early in the 2nd quarter.

Jackson replaced Rourke and kept the train on its tracks, so to speak, in the 2nd half, firing TD passes to Miles Cross and Elijah Sarratt in the 3rd quarter to give Indiana a 42-7 lead after 3 quarters.

“He played well … still has to practice better but it’s hard to be the second-string quarterback because you don’t get as many reps, and we put a lot of new stuff in week to week. … I was proud of him,” said Cignetti about his sophomore backup QB.

Jackson completed 7 of 8 passes for 91 yards and 0 interceptions. While Indiana is hopeful to get Rourke back, the performance of Jackson will be encouraging if he has to go again in Week 9.

Indiana will host Washington next Saturday looking to get to 8-0.

Cory Nightingale