Indiana Quarterback Kurtis Rourke Says Thumb Injury Close to 100% Ahead of Ohio State Game

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti and quarterback Kurtis Rourke agreed the bye week came at a good time for the Hoosiers, as they prepare for a top-five matchup Saturday at Ohio State.

Jack Ankony | Nov 20, 2024

Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke (9) throws against against Michigan at Memorial Stadium. / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

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Indiana Hoosiers

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Crowd noise blared on the Memorial Stadium speakers during Tuesday’s practice.

Coach Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers were preparing for one of the biggest games in program history, as No. 5 Indiana travels to No. 2 Ohio State for a noon ET kickoff at Ohio Stadium. ESPN’s College GameDay and FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff pregame shows will be in Columbus for a matchup that will be instrumental in deciding No. 1 Oregon’s opponent in the Big Ten title game.

Cignetti acknowledged Ohio State’s tradition and talent, as well the excitement around his team’s opportunity. But Indiana’s preparation doesn’t change. Cignetti views it as a big game, because it’s the next game, he says weekly.

“We treat them all alike,” Cignetti said Monday. “If there was a better way to prepare for a certain team, we'd do that for every team.”

His players have bought into that message. Their never-too-high, never-too-low mentality is part of the reason they’ve won more games than any previous Indiana team and why they're in contention for the 12-team College Football Playoff.

“I think a lot of us full-heartedly believe that, knowing that we can play with anybody and it doesn’t matter who we’re playing against,” Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke said Tuesday. “We just gotta go execute, and we’ll be fine. That’s kind of our mindset going into this week, like it was every other week.”

Cignetti and Rourke agreed the bye week came at a good time for the Hoosiers. The extra time off gave them a chance to refresh and recharge. Rourke was glad to give his injured thumb a break. He also dove deeper into film review of Indiana’s 20-15 win over Michigan, made corrections last week and began preparation for Ohio State.

Rourke injured his thumb on Oct. 19 against Nebraska and missed the Washington game after undergoing thumb surgery. He returned to lead the Hoosiers to wins over Michigan State and Michigan, and he continues to feel better as time goes on.

“I feel great. I feel really good,” Rourke said. “That was one of my things I was looking forward to most for the bye week, was to be able to let my thumb heal up and not beat it up and not have to throw five, six days a week. So, really excited and happy with the progress made and I’m feeling pretty close to 100%.”

After transferring in from Ohio University, Rourke has been one of the nation’s top quarterbacks this season. He ranks second among starters with a 182.7 passer rating, and he’s sixth nationally with a 71.8% completion percentage. Through 10 games, he’s thrown for 2,410 yards, 21 touchdowns and four interceptions.

Rourke and the Hoosiers face their biggest challenge of the season Saturday against Ohio State. The Buckeyes are tied for first nationally with Army, allowing just 10.3 points per game, and they allow the second fewest yards per game in the nation 250.8. Their defense is strong in all areas, ranking fourth with 90.7 rushing yards allowed per game and sixth with 160.1 passing yards allowed per game.

“Yeah, they’ve got some good players. They run a good scheme. They're well coached. Got a good amount of talent,” Rourke said. “But excited to get after them, and it’ll be a good game.”

With a capacity of 102,780, Ohio Stadium is the third largest in the nation, behind Penn State’s Beaver Stadium and Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. Rourke played at Penn State in 2022, and he anticipates Ohio Stadium being a difficult road atmosphere.

But the 10-0 Hoosiers are confident in what’s gotten them here, and there’s no reason to change that approach now.

“It will be a loud environment, especially just at first,” Rourke said. “And we’ll just have to quiet them as we go.”

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