Nov 30, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA;  Indiana Hoosiers running back Justice Ellison (6) runs the ball while Purdue Boilermakers defensive back Dillon Thieneman (31) defends in the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Kurtis Rourke, No. 10 Indiana shred hapless Purdue

Kurtis Rourke threw for 349 yards and six touchdowns Saturday night as No. 10 Indiana appears headed for an unlikely spot in the College Football Playoff with a 66-0 Big Ten Conference rout of visiting Purdue in Bloomington, Ind.

Picked 17th among 18 teams in the conference’s preseason poll, the Hoosiers improved to 11-1 overall and 8-1 in the conference. While they lost the tiebreaker to No. 4 Penn State to meet No. 1 Oregon in the conference title game on Dec. 7, they should be among the 12-team CFP field when it’s announced on Dec. 8.

Rourke completed 23 of 31 passes, and Elijah Surratt finished with eight catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns as Indiana found the offensive form that was missing in a 20-15 win over Michigan on Nov. 9 and a 38-15 loss last week at No. 2 Ohio State. The Hoosiers rolled up 582 total yards.

Their defense stifled the hapless Boilermakers (1-11, 0-9), which managed just 67 yards and five first downs in absorbing their 11th straight loss.

Hudson Card hit 6 of 13 passes for 35 yards with an interception for the Boilermakers before leaving the game in the third quarter. They failed to win a conference game for the first time since 1993.

Indiana took the lead on its second possession, driving 86 yards and scoring on Justice Ellison’s 2-yard run. After a missed field goal attempt, the Hoosiers scored touchdowns on three straight possessions an led 28-0 at halftime.

For the first of those, Rourke connected with Ke’Shawn Williams for a 14-yard touchdown at the 11:31 mark, followed by an 84-yard strike to Sarratt just over four minutes later. Ty Son Lawton added a 4-yard touchdown run with 2:52 remaining in the half.

The game became a laugher in the third quarter with 17 more points. Nicolas Radicic hit a 26-yard field goal, followed by Rourke’s 24-yard scoring strike to Sarratt and a 5-yard touchdown pass to Zach Horton with 1:31 remaining.

Rourke added 34 and 17-yard scoring connections to Miles Cross and Omar Cooper in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter.

–Field Level Media

Nov 9, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA;  Michigan Wolverines running back Donovan Edwards (7) runs with the ball while Indiana Hoosiers defensive lineman Mikail Kamara (6) defends in the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

No. 8 Indiana holds off Michigan to notch 10th win for first time in school history

Kurtis Rourke went 17-of-28 passing for 206 yards and two touchdowns to lead No. 8 Indiana to a 20-15 win over Michigan in Bloomington on Saturday.

Indiana (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) has now won 10 games in a season for the first time in school history and kept its hopes for a conference title and College Football Playoff berth alive.

Clinging to a 17-15 lead in the fourth quarter, Indiana took a 20-15 lead with 2:34 remaining on a 41-yard field goal by Nicolas Radicic.

On the ensuing possession, Michigan failed to convert a fourth-and-10 after a pass completion from Davis Warren to Peyton O’Leary fell just short of the marker. Indiana took over on the Michigan 42-yard line with 1:35 left and ran out the clock.

With 9:35 remaining, Michigan scored on a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line as running back Kalel Mullings dove into the end zone to cut Indiana’s lead to 17-15. The 2-point conversion failed.

Indiana led 17-3 at halftime, but Michigan fought back in the third quarter, cutting the Indiana lead to 17-9 on field goals of 22 and 56 yards from Dominic Zvada.

Trailing 3-0, Indiana took a 7-3 lead with 1:17 remaining in the first quarter on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Rourke to Omar Cooper Jr.

The Hoosiers went up 14-3 on a 36-yard touchdown pass from Rourke to Elijah Sarrratt with 12:10 left in the second quarter, which ended a 7-play, 65-yard drive.

After recovering a Michigan fumble at the Michigan 48-yard line, Indiana took advantage of the field position, driving into field-goal range and taking a 17-3 lead on a 40-yard field goal by Radicic with 2:20 left until halftime.

Michigan opened the scoring with 5:01 remaining in the first quarter on a 39-yard field goal by Zvada. The kick finished off a 14-play, 66-yard drive.

–Field Level Media

Indiana's Kurtis Rourke throws a pass during the third quarter in the game against Michigan State on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.

In role reversal, No. 8 Indiana huge favorite over Michigan

At the beginning of the season, many would have expected that the Big Ten game between Michigan and Indiana on Saturday in Bloomington, Ind., would pit a Top 10 team in the first College Football Playoff rankings against an unranked foe.

But hardly anybody predicted the Wolverines, the reigning national champions, would be the unranked team and the Hoosiers would be the team in playoff contention.

That is the scenario, though, as Indiana (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten) — a two-touchdown favorite — looks to continue its stunning push for a conference title and CFP berth with a win over the unranked Wolverines (5-4, 3-3).

The Hoosiers are No. 8 in the first CFP rankings that were unveiled on Tuesday, but coach Curt Cignetti doesn’t want that to be the focus.

“The only thing that matters is you get the result when you play, and to do that, you’ve got to keep the main thing the main thing and eliminate the noise and clutter and stay focused on what’s going to help you play your best on Saturday to give you the best chance to get a result,” he said.

Indiana, 9-0 for the first time in program history and seeking its first 10-win season, will also be looking for just its second victory over Michigan since 1987. The other came during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season (38-21 in Bloomington).

“I look at them and I see a really good defense, really good special teams,” Cignetti said of the Wolverines. “And offensively, they haven’t scored points. They’re not in the 40s and 50s, but they can run the ball from 11, 12, 13 personnel. They’ve got weapons. They’ve got good backs. They’ve got good players and they’re a good football team coming in here with a lot of tradition, a lot of history, a lot of pride.”

Last week against Michigan State, Indiana trailed for the first time all season when the Spartans jumped out to a 10-0 lead.

The Hoosiers responded by scoring 47 answered points to win going away. Indiana welcomed back starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who missed the win over Washington the previous week with a right thumb injury but returned to throw for 263 yards and four touchdowns.

Rourke, who has thrown for 2,204 yards and 19 touchdowns with just three interceptions, will be the focal point of a Michigan defense that hasn’t been as stout as many expected.

The Wolverines, who have lost three of their past four games after a 4-1 start, gave up 470 total yards, including 176 rushing yards, in a 38-17 home loss to No. 1 Oregon last week.

“They play disciplined, they play fast, they play physical,” Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said of the Hoosiers. “Offensively, they do a really good job of spreading you out but doing things, keeping it simple for their players and making it difficult for your defense. And defensively, they just play great team defense and try to make you make a mistake.”

Against Oregon, Michigan was without its two starting cornerbacks, top NFL Draft prospect Will Johnson and Jyaire Hill.

Moore said on Monday that Hill was “trending on probably playing,” while the team would “see with Will how he goes this week.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 26, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Tayven Jackson (2) runs the ball for a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Washington Huskies at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Playoffs in view as No. 13 Indiana takes on Michigan State

With the last third of the college football regular season here, No. 13 Indiana serving as a feel-good story this year feels like old news.

Now, remarkably, the big question is whether the Hoosiers can play their way into the College Football Playoff.

Four games remain for Indiana (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) to achieve that improbable feat. The first game will come against Michigan State (4-4, 2-3) on Saturday afternoon in East Lansing, Mich., and the clash will serve as the annual battle for the Old Brass Spittoon.

First and foremost on the minds of the Indiana faithful is the health of starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke.

After Rourke missed last Saturday’s 31-17 win over Washington with an injured thumb, Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said Monday he was “optimistic” on the quarterback’s return.

“Building up,” Cignetti said. “Workload will increase as the week goes on. That’s all I’m going to say about it.”

Backup Tayven Jackson did a serviceable job against Washington, completing 11 of 19 passes for 124 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Indiana, however, knows its best chance of cracking the 12-team playoff is to have Rourke in the lineup.

Rourke enters the game fifth in the Big Ten in passing yards (1,941) and second in completion percentage (74.6).

Cignetti said his team will have to be sure to match Michigan State’s physicality.

“They’re going to smack you in the mouth,” Cignetti said. “Have a good play-action game. Also have enough little trickery there to keep you off balance so you’re not overcommitting. Very aggressive on defense.”

While Indiana is aiming for a conference title and playoff berth, Michigan State is bidding for at least two more wins to become bowl-eligible for the first time since the 2021 season.

The Spartans are coming off a 24-17 loss to arch-rival Michigan and are preparing a stretch in which they will play three of their last four games at home.

“We do have to move on to a big-time opponent,” Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith said. “One of the hottest teams in the country. Doing it in all three phases. You look at Indiana, offensively they are doing some things and can score points in bunches. Defensively, they have some good players running around and have a solid scheme. You don’t win every game by accident.”

Michigan State hasn’t been as consistent as Indiana this year, which is a reflection of the up-and-down play of first-year starting quarterback Aidan Chiles.

After throwing for seven interceptions in the first four games of the season, Chiles has been picked off only twice in the last four games.

If Chiles can continue to take care of the ball and make plays with his arm and feet, the Spartans can present problems for Indiana.

“I think we’ve gained confidence as the year has gone on,” Smith said. “We can go toe-to-toe with just about anybody. Now we want to play our best football in November.”

The road team has won four straight games in the rivalry, including Michigan State’s 24-21 win last year in Bloomington, Ind.

–Field Level Media

Indiana's Kurtis Rourke (9) thumb shows the injury during the Indiana versus Nebraska football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024.

Hoosiers coach optimistic on QB Kurtis Rourke’s return

Indiana is optimistic about quarterback Kurtis Rourke’s progress as he recovers from a thumb injury that required surgery last week, coach Curt Cignetti told reporters Monday.

Cignetti said the redshirt senior has been “throwing the past few days.”

The 13th-ranked and unbeaten Hoosiers (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) are hopeful that Rourke can return to play at Michigan State on Saturday, ESPN reported Monday.

Rourke was injured in the second quarter of a 56-7 rout of Nebraska on Oct. 19, when his throwing hand struck the helmet of a Cornhuskers player. He did not return to the game, with Tayven Jackson taking over and finishing the blowout victory.

Jackson again took Rourke’s place in Saturday’s 31-17 win over Washington, going 11 for 19 for 124 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Rourke is in his first season at Indiana after starting the previous three years at Ohio. He has completed 74.6 percent of his passes for 1,941 yards with 15 touchdowns and three interceptions in seven starts for the Hoosiers and is considered a candidate for the Heisman Trophy.

–Field Level Media

Oct 26, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Miles Cross (19) is tackled by Washington Huskies cornerback Ephesians Prysock (7) during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

No. 13 Indiana holds off Washington 31-17 for 8-0 start

D’Angelo Ponds intercepted two passes, returning one for a touchdown, as No. 13 Indiana remained undefeated with a 31-17 victory against Washington in a Big Ten Conference game Saturday afternoon in Bloomington, Ind.

Justice Ellison rushed for a game-high 123 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries for the Hoosiers (8-0 overall, 5-0 Big Ten). The Hoosiers have opened a season 8-0 for the first time since 1967.

Indiana quarterback Tayven Jackson, making his first start of the season for the injured Kurtis Rourke, completed 11 of 19 passes for 124 yards, with one touchdown and one interception, and rushed for a score.

Jonah Coleman gained 104 yards on the ground for the Huskies (4-4, 2-3). Will Rogers III was 19-of-26 passing for 202 yards with the two first-half interceptions.

The Hoosiers put the game away on Jackson’s 2-yard keeper with 8:55 remaining. The four-play, 14-yard drive was set up by Myles Price’s 65-yard punt return.

After trailing 17-7 at the half, the Huskies got a boost when Jackson’s pass on the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter was deflected and intercepted by defensive lineman Jacob Bandes at Indiana’s 24-yard line. Four plays later, Demond Williams Jr. rushed for an 8-yard touchdown to pull Washington within 17-14.

The Hoosiers then marched 75 yards in 14 plays, with Ellison powering his way up the middle on a 5-yard TD run to make it 24-14.

Indiana opened the scoring on Ponds’ 67-yard interception return in the first quarter after teammate Tyrique Tucker hit Rogers’ throwing arm as he attempted a screen pass.
Following Ponds’ second interception, Jackson threw a 42-yard scoring strike to Omar Cooper Jr., making it 14-0 early in the second quarter.

The Huskies responded with a six-play, 75-yard drive capped by wide receiver Giles Jackson’s 6-yard touchdown run.

Indiana had first-and-goal from the UW 1 in the final minute of the half but the Hoosiers were stopped on three straight running plays and had to settle for Nicolas Radicic’s 19-yard field goal on the last play before the intermission.

–Field Level Media

Sep 28, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA;  Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke (9) throws a pass against the Maryland Terrapins during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Report: Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke has thumb surgery

Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke underwent surgery on his right thumb Monday and could return sooner than previously expected, ESPN reported Tuesday.

The 13th-ranked and unbeaten Hoosiers (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) announced that Rourke was out “indefinitely” after he sustained the injury in Saturday’s 56-7 rout of Nebraska.

Backup Tayven Jackson is expected to start Saturday’s home game against Washington (4-3, 2-2) but “there’s now optimism” that Rourke could be back for the Nov. 2 game at Michigan State, per ESPN.

Rourke suffered the injury to his thumb in the second quarter when his throwing hand struck the helmet of a Cornhuskers player. He did not return to the game, with Jackson taking over and finishing the blowout victory.

Rourke, 23, is in his first season at Indiana after starting the previous three years at Ohio. He has completed 74.6 percent of his passes for 1,941 yards with 15 touchdowns and three interceptions in seven starts for the Hoosiers, who lead the nation with 48.7 points per game.

–Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2024; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Elijah Sarratt (13) gestures for a first down against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

Fresh off a bye, No. 16 Indiana faces stern test in Nebraska

The first team to clinch bowl eligibility now goes to work on seeing if they can fulfill their coach’s initial bold prediction.

No. 16 Indiana comes off its bye week with a Big Ten Conference game against Nebraska on Saturday afternoon in Bloomington, Ind. The Hoosiers (6-0, 3-0) have won every game by at least 14 points.

When Curt Cignetti accepted the head coaching job, one of his first stops was Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, where the Big Ten championship game was being played the next day. Cignetti went on Big Ten Network and said, “I figured I had to make this trip up here since we’ll be playing in this game next year.”

Many laughed when Cignetti uttered those words. Now, Indiana has a reasonable chance to be 9-0 before it plays Michigan and Ohio State in consecutive games. The guy who ushered James Madison into a successful beginning in FBS has showed he quickly can build a winner in a big conference.

“This is culture and mindset,” he said after the Hoosiers’ 41-24 win at Northwestern on Oct. 5. “These are guys that came from championship programs that have now won 20 of their last 21 games. And a lot of other transfers that come from good programs.

“And the guys that stayed had a chip on their shoulder and something to prove.”

Indiana is second in FBS in scoring at 47.5 points per game and fourth in total yardage at 515.7 yards per game. Ohio transfer Kurtis Rourke is completing nearly 74 percent of his passes with a 14-2 touchdown-interception ratio.

Not to be outdone, the defense is allowing fewer than 15 points per game and has logged 19 sacks. Just two of the Hoosiers’ six opponents have gained more than 100 rushing yards.

Meanwhile, Nebraska (5-1, 2-1) also is coming off a bye. Its last game was a 14-7 home win over Rutgers on Oct. 5 that saw it gain just 261 total yards and allow four sacks. But the Cornhuskers avoided the kind of bitter loss that has defined the program in recent seasons.

Second-year coach Matt Rhule’s team fell out of the rankings in late September after a 31-24 overtime loss at home to Illinois. Saturday’s game and next week’s trip to No. 4 Ohio State provide Nebraska with a golden opportunity to return to the relevance Rhule seeks.

“Probably a top 10 team that we’re facing,” he said of Indiana, “but they are not getting the credit in the rankings because they started unranked.”

The Cornhuskers will present the Hoosiers’ offense with perhaps its stiffest challenge of the year. Nebraska has permitted just 11.3 points per game and has recorded 20 sacks to go along with two interception returns for touchdowns.

Freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola is connecting on nearly 67 percent of his passes but is coming off perhaps his least effective performance in the win over Rutgers. He completed only 13 of 27 attempts for 134 yards with an interception.

–Field Level Media