NOTEBOOK – Hoosiers Confident Jackson Will ‘Rise to the Occasion’
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Starting quarterback opportunity has returned for Tayven Jackson and Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti is confident the redshirt sophomore is ready for it, beginning Saturday when the No. 13/13 Hoosiers (7-0) host Washington (4-3) at Memorial Stadium.
“We have 100 percent confidence, I have confidence, in Tayven Jackson,” Cignetti said during Monday’s media conference.
Jackson’s opportunity comes after starter Kurtis Rourke hurt his thumb during last Saturday’s 56-7 win over Nebraska. Cignetti said Rourke, who didn’t play in the second half, is expected to return this season.
Rourke is the Big Ten’s second-most accurate passer at 74.6 percent. Only Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, at 77 percent, is better. Rourke has thrown for 1,941 yards, 15 touchdowns and three interceptions, and was on pace to have the best passing season in Hoosier history.
This isn’t the first time an injury cost Rourke in-season games. At Ohio University, he tore his ACL and missed the final three games of the 2022 season.
He handled that injury well and is doing the same thing again.
“Kurtis is a veteran, married guy,” Cignetti said. “He’s older. He’s smart. He’s got a great attitude about it.”
Jackson has spent the season as Rourke’s backup. He was impressive against Nebraska, completing 7-of-8 passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran twice for 21 yards.
“He did a nice job,” Cignetti said. “Now, he’ll get more repetitions, which will help prepare him for Saturday.
“We always talk about the next man up. Everybody’s here for a reason. In this sport, you’re going to have injuries at every position.”
For the season, Jackson has completed 12-of-18 passes (67 percent) for 225 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He’s also rushed for 36 yards and a TD.
“He’s a guy who is extremely capable,” Cignetti said. “I’m sure he’ll rise to the occasion.”
Rising to the occasion is part of IU’s winning culture.
“It doesn’t matter who’s out there,” receiver Myles Cross said. “We’re going to play to win. It’s the next-man-up mentality. That’s the standard we have to have. Whoever is out there, continue to make plays.”
Last season, Jackson played in six games with five starts. He was 24-for-34 for 299 yards and a touchdown against a good Louisville team, and finished with 914 passing yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 61 percent of his passes.
His improvement this season is noticeable.
“He’s a year older,” Cignetti said. “It’s a different offense, a different system.
“He’s got excellent potential. He’s gotten better. Now he’s got an opportunity. He’s got to take it and run with it.”
Jackson played three games at Tennessee as a true freshman (rushing for one touchdown and throwing for 28 yards) after an all-state Indiana high school career at Center Grove that included consecutive state titles and a 28-0 record in his final two seasons.
Rourke, a fifth-year senior and a former Mid-American Conference offensive MVP, will continue to provide a strong leadership example for Jackson and fellow quarterbacks Tyler Cherry and Alberto Mendoza, Cignetti said.
“It’s the way he prepares and practices,” Cignetti said. “He’s a good role model. Everyone needs a role model.
“(Rourke) will be on the sideline Saturday. That will be a plus.”
Cignetti has a history of strong quarterback development. Along with offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan and quarterbacks coach Tino Sunseri, they have developed four different quarterbacks with different skill sets into conference-offensive-player-of-the-year standouts.
Before the injury, Rourke was on a similar trajectory.
“(Sunseri) is a really good quarterback coach,” Cignetti said. “He has great relationships with (the quarterbacks). He’s a student of the game. He communicates real well.
“Offensively, we do a nice job in terms of our system and giving the quarterback answers. Every play’s got an answer. We build the offense around the quarterback.
“We do a nice job developing quarterbacks. It’s a group effort, a team effort. Since Tino has been here, he’s taken those guys to another level.”
ESPN’s College GameDay is coming to IU on Saturday. That will include analyst Lee Corso, the former Hoosier head coach. He won 73 games as a college head coach, 41 at Indiana that included a memorable 1979 Holiday Bowl victory over previously unbeaten Brigham Young.
GameDay came to James Madison last season as Cignetti led the Dukes into top-20 status.
“My wife and I made sure we spent about 10 minutes with Coach Corso beforehand,” Cignetti said. “I called him on his birthday a month or so ago. He called back. We had a nice conversation.”
Cignetti said he first became aware of Corso in 1972, when Corso’s Louisville team and West Virginia, where Cignetti’s father, Frank Cignetti Sr., was an assistant coach, were vying for the final bowl spot, the Peach Bowl. West Virginia beat Syracuse and got the bid. Louisville, which finished 9-1, didn’t receive a bid.
“That was probably the first time I was aware of who he was,” Cignetti said.
ESPN’s College GameDay coverage continues IU’s impressive national exposure. The FOX Big Noon Kickoff show came to Bloomington this past weekend.
Is that impacting recruiting on a national scale?
“It's great exposure for the football program and the university,” Cignetti said. “Now, we’ve got to do our part on Saturday. The best way to do that is to have a great day today, a great meeting, a great walk-through, stack good days, which is what we have to do.”
The national coverage comes as IU continues to be one of college football’s biggest stories after three-straight losing seasons.
“They’re here for a reason -- we’re winning games, creating a lot of excitement,” Cignetti said. “That adds to the excitement, but we have to do our part.”
IU is tied with Oregon atop the Big Ten standings. Each have 4-0 records. Penn State is next at 3-0. Illinois and Wisconsin are 3-1. Ohio State is 2-1.
Washington is 2-2 in the conference and 0-3 on the road with losses to Washington State (24-19), Rutgers (21-18), and Iowa (40-16). Victories include Michigan, 27-17, and Northwestern, 24-5. It averages 24.1 points and allows 17.0.
Quarterback Will Rogers completes 72.2 percent of his passes for 1,820 yards, 13 touchdowns and two interceptions. Jonah Coleman has rushed for a team-leading 681 yards and five touchdowns. The top receivers are Giles Jackson (47 catches, 542 yards, two touchdowns) and Denzel Boston (40, 540, a Big Ten-leading nine TD catches). Linebacker Carson Bruener leads with 44 tackles, including two for loss. He also has an interception, three pass breakups and a quarterback hit.
“We have a tough challenge against a good team,” Cignetti said. “They have a lot of playmakers on offense, have a good defense. They like to pressure and don’t give up a lot of points.
“They’ve got a big offensive line, big tight ends, a big running back, an experienced quarterback. I like their wideouts a lot.
“They have a good scheme. We’re going to have to fly around, swarm the ball, win upfront, pressure the quarterback, stop the run, create some turnovers …
“We’ve got to have a great week.”
The Hoosiers’ seven-game winning streak is the second longest in school history, surpassed only by the eight straight won by the 1967 team, which went on to share the Big Ten title and play in the Rose Bowl.
IU leads the Big Ten in margin of victory at 35.0 points. It and Army are the only teams in the country that haven’t trailed all season. Its closest game was a 42-28 win over Maryland.
The Hoosiers have the Big Ten’s top-scoring offense at 48.7 points, and second-stingiest defense, allowing 13.7 points. Only Ohio State, which allows 11.0 points, is better defensively in the conference.
That dominance, Cross said, starts with preparation.
“It comes from practice and repetition and getting better one day at a time. We have the ability to do that. Whenever you have success in one game, it carries over to the next game. It helps us play faster and continue to thrive.”
Whether victory comes by blowout or nail-biter, cornerback D’Angelo Ponds said, “We’re not worried about the margin we win by, as long as we get the win, that’s all that matters.”