Kurtis Rourke injury update: Exploring Indiana QB’s return after thumb injury

Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke suffered a thumb injury during the team's Week 8 matchup against Nebraska. While there were initial fears that the signal-caller would be out for the season, there is now a chance that he could return to action sooner rather than later.

Kurtis Rourke injury update: What happened to Indiana QB?

NCAA Football: Indiana Hoosiers QB Kurtis Rourke - Source: Imagn

As per reports, Kurtis Rourke underwent surgery on his right thumb and Indiana is optimistic that he could return for the Week 10 matchup against Michigan State on Saturday.

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti addressed Rourke's injury in a press conference on Monday and said that the quarterback had begun throwing after undergoing surgery.

"I'm optimistic about him," Cignetti said of Rourke's rehab. "He's been throwing the last few days. Workload will increase as the week goes on. That's all I'm going to say about it."

Rourke's thumbnail on his right hand broke off during the first half of Indiana's 56-7 win over Nebraska and he exited the game. He then underwent surgery to insert a pair of screws into the top of his thumb, which forced him to sit out the Hoosiers' Week 9 win over Washington.

In Rourke's absence, Tayven Jackson led the offense against the Huskies and completed 11 of 19 passes for 124 yards with a touchdown. He also rushed six times for 17 yards and scored a touchdown on the ground.

Now, it remains to be seen whether Rourke, who has 1,941 passing yards (74.6% pass completion) with 15 touchdowns and just three interceptions in seven starts, will return for Indiana in Week 10.

A look at Indiana's schedule for the 2024 season

After Week 9, No. 13 Indiana (8-0 overall, 5-0 in Big Ten) is in the hunt for the College Football Playoff. The Hoosiers will want to keep their unbeaten record in the regular season to get an automatic berth in the playoffs.

However, here's the list of teams they have to beat to remain in contention for the postseason:

• Nov. 2: at Michigan State
• Nov. 9: vs. Michigan
• Nov. 16: OFF
• Nov. 23: at Ohio State
• Nov. 30: vs. Purdue