Indiana football finds itself in an intriguing position heading into Saturday's Big Ten matchup with Washington, as backup quarterback Tayven Jackson will the reins in place of the injured Kurtis Rourke.
Sidelined with a thumb injury, Rourke will miss the Hoosiers' week nine contest against the Huskies. With Rourke on the shelf, the spotlight now shifts to Jackson, who has the full backing of his coaches and teammates.
"We have 100% confidence [in Jackson] and the team has 100% confidence," Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti said Monday. "I thought he played really well in the second half [against Nebraska]."
The Hoosiers' confidence in Jackson's readiness to step up for the Hoosiers on Saturday stems from many things. For starters, when Jackson found himself thrust onto the field to begin the second half, he handled himself about as well as anyone could've.
Indiana's offense didn't skip a beat when Jackson took over in the third quarter. The redshirt sophomore completed seven of his eight passes on Saturday for 91 yards and two touchdowns.
Perhaps the highlights of Jackson's second half performance was a gorgeous 15-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Sarratt that demonstrated Jackson's poise and precision in the pocket.
"There's no drop off," tail back Justice Ellison said following Indiana's win over Nebraska. "A standard is a standard, it doesn't matter who's in the game. We truly believe in keeping that standard no matter what jersey number you have."
For Jackson, Saturday's contest represents an opportunity to take control of the Indiana offense with the Hoosiers squarely in the national spotlight , with College Gameday making a stop Bloomington this weekend.
Jackson's journey to this moment has been filled with many twists and turns. A back-to-back state champion at Center Grove High School in 2020 and 2021, Jackson initially committed to Tennessee. The former four-star recruit spent one season with the Volunteers before transferring to Indiana.
Last season, Jackson's first year with the Hoosiers, the Greenwood, Indiana native found himself in the middle of Indiana's quarterback carousel with current Cincinnati signal caller Brendan Sorsby.
Jackson's season a year ago was one of instability, as he dealt with multiple offensive coordinators and constant uncertainty about his starting status. This season, however, under Cignetti's new regime, Jackson has shown signs of development, and now he's the undisputed starter -- at least until Rourke is back and ready to go.
"Now he'll get more repetitions, which will help him prepare for the game on Saturday," Cignetti explained. "He's a guy that's extremely capable, extremely capable. I'm sure he'll rise to the occasion."
Jackson's preparation for Washington will be assisted by quarterbacks coach Tino Sunseri this week, a man widely respected as a quarterback whisperer for his ability to develop quarterbacks at a high level.
"It's a different offense. It's a different system," Cignetti described. "Tino [Sunseri] does a great job of developing the quarterbacks. 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."
Indiana's game against Washington will provide Jackson with his biggest test, perhaps in his career.
Despite having only limited starting experience, Jackson's flashes of potential -- including a strong showing in the Hoosiers' spring game, as well as a number of highlight plays a season ago -- suggest that he's capable of rising to the occasion this weekend.
Saturday's afternoon affair with Washington is more than just a game for Jackson. It's an opportunity for redemption and stability after a turbulent 2023 campaign.
It's now time for Jackson to write his own chapter in Indiana's storybook 2024 season.
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