EVANSTON, ILLINOIS – OCTOBER 05: Kurtis Rourke #9 of the Indiana Hoosiers throws a pass against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at Martin Stadium on October 05, 2024 in Evanston, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Indiana is off to their first 7-0 start in decades, but they’ll be without their star quarterback for their next game, according to multiple reports.
Those reports, including from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, say that quarterback Kurtis Rourke will miss at least one game after suffering a thumb injury in Saturday’s win over Nebraska.
Thanks to Rourke’s strong play, the Hoosiers are 7-0 for only the second time in school history. Rourke has completed 74.6% of his passes this season, throwing 15 touchdowns and just three interceptions in seven games.
The Hoosiers have won those seven games by an average of 35 points, including a 56-7 shellacking of Nebraska on Saturday afternoon in Bloomington.
Tayven Jackson replaced Rourke in Saturday’s game, throwing two touchdown passes and going 7-of-8 for 91 yards in the contest. Justice Ellison also figures to get an increased workload, as he racked up 105 yards on only nine carries in Saturday’s win.
As Rourke sits, the eyes of the nation will be upon Bloomington, as the Hoosiers will welcome ESPN’s College GameDay for the iconic program’s first-ever visit. The show will air as Indiana prepares to take on Washington, who is 4-3 on the season and coming off a bye-week following a 40-16 loss to Iowa on Oct. 12.
After that game, Indiana will head to East Lansing for a battle against Michigan State before welcome reigning national champion Michigan to Memorial Stadium on Nov. 9. Following a bye week, Indiana will travel to Columbus to face Ohio State before finishing the season against Purdue on Nov. 30.
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