Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke Ranks Among Nation’s Top Quarterbacks

After transferring in from Ohio University, Kurtis Rourke has helped Indiana set program scoring records through four games. Individually, he contends with the nation’s best quarterbacks in certain statistics.

Jack Ankony | Sep 24, 2024

Indiana's Kurtis Rourke (9) passes against Charlotte at Memorial Stadium. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Indiana Hoosiers

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Finding a quarterback was one of coach Curt Cignetti’s most important decisions when building his first Indiana roster. And so far, his choice has worked out well.

Cignetti brought in Kurtis Rourke from Ohio University, where he played 36 games and earned All-MAC honors the last two seasons. Rourke was ranked No. 22 among transfer quarterbacks by 247Sports and No. 35 by On3. But through four games, he appears primed to exceed those expectations.

Among quarterbacks who have played a minimum of 50% of their team’s snaps, Rourke has the nation’s third-highest passing grade at 91.2, and he’s tied for fifth with a 90.7 offense grade, according to Pro Football Focus.

The only quarterbacks with higher passing grades? Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dar and Miami’s Cam Ward, the two Heisman Trophy favorites on the FanDuel Sportsbook. Rourke is further back at 27th in Heisman odds, but he slots higher among quarterbacks nationally in several categories.

Rourke’s 74.7% completion percentage ranks fourth in the country among qualified quarterbacks. That’s reflected in his 92.4 adjusted total quarterback rating, on a scale of 100, by ESPN, which adjusts for the strength of opposing defenses faced. In ESPN’s passer rating statistic, Rourke ranks sixth with a 194.1 rating.

“I think he's playing pretty well,” Cignetti said Saturday. “He will be the first to tell you it wasn't perfect, and he came back from what I thought was a really outstanding performance against UCLA with a pretty solid performance today. But that's why we recruited him, too; he had already proven himself on tape. I am extremely pleased to see the progress he's made since he started playing games.”

Through four games, Rourke has totaled 1,013 passing yards, which ranks 25th nationally, and he’s 19th in the country with eight passing touchdowns among qualified quarterbacks. He’s also one of 12 starting quarterbacks without an interception, part of Indiana’s first four-game stretch without an interception since at least 1996.

Making it even more impressive, Rourke has achieved all of this on far fewer snaps than the average starter. He ranks 78th nationally with 105 dropbacks and 71st in pass attempts. Rourke played just one series in the second half against Western Illinois, and his day was done after Indiana scored with 3:48 in the third quarter against Charlotte. He also didn’t play in the final possession against Florida International.

"Since week one, I've definitely felt like I've improved my eyes and everything, being able to see everything a little bit more, and kind of not get too antsy or move around when I don't need to,” Rourke said Saturday. “Just feeling more comfortable. It's definitely something new that I've experienced from week one, and just continuing to build on that and rely on my teammates and not try to do too much."

From a team standpoint, Rourke has led Indiana’s offense to high marks, too. The Hoosiers rank fifth nationally with 50.5 points per game and 11th with 513.8 yards per game. Indiana was the first FBS team to surpass 200 points in 2024, and its 202 points are the most in a four-game stretch in program history, breaking the previous record set at the end of the 2015 season.

Cignetti said it’s been a collaborative effort, with offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan calling the plays, plus Cignetti, quarterbacks coach/co-offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri and offensive line coach Bob Bostad offering their insights.

“We're not afraid to throw something up there, and our guys are quick learners,” Cignetti said. “We have a lot of experienced players who understand football and can handle a pretty heavy plate and if they can execute it, you're just going to put the defense in more conflict.”

Rourke and the Hoosiers have been particularly efficient in the red zone. Across 24 trips, they’ve scored 20 touchdowns and two field goals. The only non-conversions came in the fourth quarter with true freshman Alberto Mendoza at quarterback, including one turnover on downs and a kneel down to end the game.

"We have a pretty good idea of what type of looks we're going to get, so it's all about execution,” Rourke said of Indiana’s red-zone success. “Everything's a little bit tighter in the red zone, and so being able to be on time is especially important. And so putting that emphasis on throughout the week in order to be as fine-tuned as possible for when the time comes. And we want to score touchdowns, so do as much as we can when we get down there."

The Hoosiers know things will become more challenging the rest of the way, starting with Maryland on Saturday at Noon ET at Memorial Stadium, followed by seven more Big Ten games. So for Cignetti and Rourke, it’s all about staying focused.

“We are used to being successful, this staff that I brought in, the players that are here,” Cignetti said. “When you win, it's about maintaining your edge and avoiding complacency and not having the warm fuzzies and not taking the rat poison, right? Eliminating the noise and the clutter, focusing on what's going to help you get to the point where you can perform to the best of your ability on Saturday.”

“We have a tougher schedule probably coming up now, but we still gotta come out, prepare the same way we have been, and just prepare for a different defense, different look kind of thing,” Rourke said. “But complacency is gonna hurt us, so we gotta be able to lock in from when we start practice again on Monday, all the way to game time next week."

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