Ohio transfers Kurtis Rourke and Miles Cross made one of the top quarterback-receiver duos in the Mid-American Conference, and they made a SportsCenter Top 10 Play in their Indiana debuts against Florida International.
Quarterback Kurtis Rourke was grateful to see a familiar face on Saturday in his Indiana debut.
Midway through the second quarter of a 31-7 win over Florida International, Rourke felt pressure off the right edge. He ducked to avoid a sack, then scrambled toward the sideline and pointed at his receivers.
From the swarming pass rush to the heavy coverage down the field, there was no guarantee his improvisation would move the chains on 3rd and 21.
“When I threw it, I was just hoping that nothing bad would happen,” Rourke reflected Tuesday.
On the move, Rourke hurled the ball down the field, where his receivers, Miles Cross and Andison Coby, were blanketed by three FIU defenders. Cross leapt and reached his right arm to the sky, hauling in a one-handed catch while absorbing a hefty hit from the FIU defender.
The 30-yard completion from Rourke to Cross gave Indiana a first down and set up a two-yard touchdown run six plays later from Ty Son Lawton, his second of the game, to give the Hoosiers an early 21-0 lead.
“[Cross] kind of just saved me there a little bit,” Rourke said. “He’s a heck of a player, so I’m glad that we have him on the team. Watching it again in film was like, ‘Wow, he’s a special player.’”
The play earned the No. 3 spot on SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays, though it wasn’t all that surprising from Rourke’s perspective. The quarterback began his career with five seasons at Ohio University, where he threw for 7,846 yards, 51 touchdowns and 16 interceptions and was named MAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2022.
Many of those passing yards came with Cross on the other end. The 5-foot-11 receiver spent the last three seasons with Rourke at Ohio, where he totaled 105 receptions for 1,301 yards and eight touchdowns.
“He’s got great hands, one of the best hands that I’ve been around,” Rourke said of Cross. “Obviously I played with him at Ohio in his first three years, and he’s one of the most secure hands that I’ve met and played with. So I can’t say I was expecting that last Saturday, but I’m not surprised because he’s got good hands.”
Rourke finished his Indiana debut completing 15-of-24 pass attempts for 180 yards, one touchdown and zero turnovers. He said it provided good learning tape, and he has absorbed advice from quarterbacks coach Tino Sunseri, who has “been around the best of the best,” with past stints at James Madison, Alabama, Tennessee and Florida State.
Rourke said he has increased his amount of film study as he’s gotten older. He has also learned a lot about preparation from his older brother, Nathan Rourke, who spent two seasons in the NFL and now plays for the BC Lions in the Canadian Football League.
Rourke pointed out some missed opportunities, avoidable penalties and consistency as things to improve upon after game one. He considers himself a calm player and tries not to get too high or too low based on results. Tight end Zach Horton, who caught Indiana’s first touchdown against FIU, felt that.
“Cool, calm and collected,” Horton described Rourke. “Always, no matter what the situation is. A steady hand steers the ship is what I say, and he’s steering it pretty well. So he’s a really good, calm quarterback, and he knows situations really well.”
Rourke said it’s good to have nonconference games to begin the season, so he can find his rhythm and get a feel for the game’s timing before Big Ten play begins Sept. 14 at UCLA.
After defeating FIU on Saturday, the Hoosiers host FCS opponent Western Illinois on Friday at 7 p.m ET at Memorial Stadium. And as Rourke embarks on his sixth-year senior season – this time at a new school – it’s been nice to have a familiar target in Cross as he adapts to a new environment.