Indiana Hoosiers starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke is out indefinitely with a right thumb injury, the team announced on Sunday.
Rourke was hurt during the first half of Saturday’s 56-7 win over Nebraska when his hand collided with the helmet of a Cornhuskers defender.
No. 13 Indiana (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) will face Washington (4-3, 2-2) next weekend as they aim to stay at the top of the Big Ten standings and match the best start in school history at 8-0.
However, they’ll now rely on third-year quarterback Tayven Jackson to lead the team. Jackson, who transferred from Tennessee before the 2023 season, stepped in during the second half on Saturday and completed 7 of 8 passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns after Indiana built a 28-7 halftime lead. Jackson has become a fan favorite since returning to his home state, and is the brother of former Indiana basketball All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis.
Rourke, who is tied for the Big Ten lead with 15 touchdown passes and has thrown for 1,941 yards, ranks second in the conference in completion percentage at 74.6%. He has won Big Ten offensive player of the week honors twice this season.
This isn’t Rourke’s first injury; he suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2022, which continued to affect him last season at Ohio University. Despite the setback, he was named the 2022 Mid-American Conference MVP.
