Kurtis Rourke and the No. 23 Indiana Hoosiers are undefeated after five games for the first time in 57 years. They’ll attempt to be only the second Hoosier football team to start a season with six straight wins on Saturday when they visit the 2-2 Northwestern Wildcats.
Meet Kurtis Rourke: ‘The Maple Missile’
Indiana Quarterback Kurtis Rourke is off to a fantastic start. Leading the surprising Indiana Hoosiers to a 5-0 start thanks largely to the high-powered offense led by the Canadian who transferred to Indiana after five seasons as the Ohio Bobcats quarterback.
Rourke earned all-conference honors in his past two seasons at the Mid-American Conference (MAC) school. Hailing from the “Great White North” with a strong throwing arm, Kurtis Rourke earned the moniker “The Maple Missile” while paying for the Bobcats. At 6-foot-five and a solid 225 pounds, Rourke is built like a maple tree.
Kurtis Rourke’s Exceeding Expectations
When new Indiana coach Curt “I Win” Cignetti arrived on the Bloomington campus, finding a solid starting quarterback was a high priority. Kurtis Rourke was ranked as the 22nd-best quarterback available in the transfer portal by 247Sports.
After his first five games, Hoosier fans are thrilled to see him exceeding expectations. Las Vegas oddsmakers have noticed Rourke’s outstanding performance too. While a longshot to win the award, Kuris Rourke is on the board with +7500 odds to win the Heisman Trophy – awarded annually to the nation’s top college football player.
Rourke’s numbers are impressive. He ranks in the top ten nationally in passing efficiency (7th with a QBR of 189.4) and sixth in both completion percentage (73.2%) and yards per pass attempt (10.4). For the season, Rourke has thrown for 1,372 yards and 11 touchdowns with only two interceptions.
Rourke Knows How To Play QB
Rourke and the Hoosiers have been particularly impressive in the red zone. They’ve scored 20 touchdowns and two field goals in 22 red zone attempts. Scoring every time you get in the red zone with 90.9% of those scores being touchdowns is how the Hoosiers have raced off to a 5-0 start. Coach Cignetti loves Kurtis Rourke: “He knows how to play quarterback. It’s very evident to me. Tom Brady knew how to play quarterback. Philip Rivers, who I coached, knew how to play quarterback.”
Rourke May Lead Indiana To CFP
Realistically, Kurtis Rourke isn’t among the top contenders for the Heisman Trophy – at least not yet. But with a favorable schedule in the coming weeks, there’s a good chance the Hoosiers could be 9-0 when #10 Michigan visits Bloomington in November. ESPN analytics gives Indiana a solid 67.8% chance to beat the Wolverines at home. That means the Hoosiers could be 10-0 when they visit Ohio State the following weekend.
According to the Allstate Playoff Predictor, the Indiana football team has a 40% chance to make the College Football Playoff. The 11th-best odds among all FBS teams. That’s an incredible improvement in Coach Cignetti’s inaugural season as Indiana’s head football coach. And while he probably will not win the Heisman Trophy, don’t be surprised to see IU and star quarterback Kurtis Rourke in the playoff.
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