FOOTBALL

‘I don’t think that’s the best’: Kurtis Rourke has looked every part of a top tier quarterback for IU football — and he may not be done just yet

Kurtis Rourke has excelled through three weeks and, in turn, has made IU football into one of the most explosive offenses in the country.

Published

12 hours ago

September 18, 2024

Alec Lasley

Kurtis Rourke has excelled through three weeks and, in turn, has made IU football into one of the most explosive offenses in the country.(Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

IU football head coach Curt Cignetti was hired in part to his ability to produce very talented quarterbacks. Whether they were in uniform in his system for one year or multiple — numerous quarterbacks under Cignetti and the offensive staff have excelled in this system. Through three weeks, it’s easy to see why.

When Kurtis Rourke committed to Indiana early in Cignetti’s tenure at IU, it was evident what Cignetti was looking for — a veteran quarterback who would have total command of an offense. Rourke was — and has shown to be exactly that.

Through three weeks, Rourke is completing 74.3 percent of his passes for 755 yards with seven touchdowns and zero interceptions. He has also added one touchdown on the ground. He ranks first in the Big Ten in touchdowns, second in yards per attempt and quarterback rating. He also ranks third in completion percentage and fourth in yards.

His play was taken to a new level in Indiana’s 42-13 win over UCLA in week three, however. He was 25-of-33 for 307 yards and four touchdowns. It was clear, it was his best performance of the season and the most comfortable he looked in and moving around the pocket.

On third down specifically, Rourke was 9-of-9 with seven first downs.

“I thought he played really well and did a really nice job with his eyes and was accurate,” Cignetti said of Rourke. “We did a great job protecting. We had no sacks. And, you know, receivers did a nice job of separating and made some really good catches too. So I thought he played extremely well.”

His play was rewarded on Monday when he was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. It was the first quarterback from the Indiana football program to earn the award since 2015.

Indiana is now 3-0 and quickly raising up rankings and national metrics.

But, it’s not a surprise to anyone around the program, especially the signal caller for the Hoosiers.

“Since January and spring ball and everything, I thought that we could be a good team, that we had a lot of really good pieces in order to compete this year,” Rourke said. “And it’s great to see that come out and show it and be able to kind of let everybody know that we’re to be taken seriously.”

Rourke — who made 33 starts at Ohio and was the 2022 MAC Offensive Player of the Year — is doing exactly what Cignetti thought he would do when he pledged his commitment.

“It’s not like you’re teaching a young guy how to play the position,” Cignetti said. “You got older guys that know how to play the position and now you’re just fitting them into your offensive structure and then building upon the things that they do well. And so, you know, that position, there’s just so many things that go on to have an older guy. You can’t put a value on it.”

That shows in Indiana’s start. The Hoosiers have scored 150 points through three games which has tied a program record for most points in the first three weeks of the season.

IU football is also averaging 515 yards per game, ranked 2nd in the country. It also ranks 2nd in the nation in points per game.

Already, there are four Hoosiers with 100+ receiving yards and six different players with a receiving touchdown. IU’s top three wideouts are averaging at least 17 yards per catch and Rourke is the head of the snake for the explosive offense.

“I don’t think that’s the best,” IU wide receiver Miles Cross said on Tuesday about Rourke’s UCLA performance — who was teammates with Rourke at Ohio. “It may have surprised a lot of people but it didn’t surprise me. Kurtis is a special player and couldn’t be more happy to see what he’s doing.

“He was always a good leader — being at Ohio. You would make a good play, a bad play, it was the same from him. He was going to uplift you and he demands the best from you. Good leader, smart player to be around.”

While it has been just three weeks, it’s clear that IU football has its quarterback. And, it’s also clear that the system put in place by Cignetti, offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan and QB’s coach Tino Sunseri is meant to develop top tier quarterbacks.

And while Rourke may be getting a lot of the credit, he only cares about one thing — winning. And, it’s that culture that the Indiana coaches brought to Bloomington that has oozed into the roster and to every player on the field.

“Coach Cignetti and the culture he’s brought and built, and then we have such a great talent of guys that makes my job a lot easier,” Rourke said. “And then everybody just wants to win, that’s the one common goal that we have. A lot of transfers, a lot of older guys, and we all have the same common goal of winning, and that comes out to play everyday.”