Indiana Hoosiers starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke will be out for an unknown period due to an injured right thumb, the team announced on Sunday.
Rourke got hurt during the first half of Saturday’s 56-7 win over Nebraska when his hand struck the helmet of a Cornhuskers defensive player.
No. 13 Indiana (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) will host 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.
Now, they will have to rely on third-year quarterback Tayven Jackson. Jackson, who transferred from Tennessee before the 2023 season, played in the second half on Saturday, completing 7 of 8 passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns after Indiana had a 28-7 lead at halftime.
Jackson has quickly become a fan favorite since returning to his home state. He is the brother of former Indiana basketball star Trayce Jackson-Davis, an All-American.
Rourke is tied for the Big Ten lead with 15 touchdown passes and has thrown for 1,941 yards. He is second in the conference in completion percentage at 74.6% and has been named the Big Ten’s offensive player of the week twice this season.
He has faced injuries before, including a season-ending knee injury in 2022, which continued to affect him last season during his final year at Ohio University. Despite this, Rourke was named the 2022 Mid-American Conference MVP.
