As it turns out, he'll be back before you know it. Not long ago, star Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke suffered a concerning thumb injury in the lopsided Hoosiers win over Nebraska. Rourke, who has been electric this campaign, had to undergo surgery.
This of course forced him to miss the recent contest against Washington, a game Indiana was able to still come out on top of 31-17. With Michigan State next up on the schedule, plenty of people thought that perhaps Tayven Jackson would be getting another start.
However, it doesn't look like that's going to be the case. According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, Rourke has stepped up his rehab in recent days and he's throwing again. Not only that, but Thamel's sources are telling him that there's optimism that Rourke will be able to get on the field to take on the Spartans:
Sources: Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke has continued to throw the past few days, and there’s continued optimism he can play on Saturday against Michigan State. He’s been dealing with a thumb injury and had surgery last week. IU’s first full practice is Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/mflK8xx3Bn
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 28, 2024
Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke is hoping to play against Michigan State
This is certainly welcome news for the fanbase. Give credit to Jackson for filling in against the Huskies, but there's no question that Rourke is the leader of this team and he's going to (likely) be back after missing just one game.
It's been a dream season for the Hoosiers, but there's still plenty of work to be done. This weekend, Indiana will head to Spartan Stadium to take on Michigan State and then there's a massive home battle on the way against Michigan after that.
Getting Rouke back into the mix is going to be crucial with the late part of the campaign on the way. Thus far this season, the senior signal-caller has tossed for 1,941 yards, 15 touchdowns and only three interceptions.
Thanks to his brilliant play, the Hoosiers are 8-0 on the year, 5-0 in Big Ten play and ranked the No. 13 squad in the country. With Rourke fully healthy, more good things are on the way for the Hoosiers and things will get started once again vs. the Spartans this weekend.