In what ended up being a 77-3 slaughter over Western Illinois, the Indiana offense thrived, with the passing game taking a huge step compared to week one.
The air attack was an integral part of the Hoosiers breaking the all-time record for points scored in a single game in Indiana history. The previous record 76.
IU also broke its record for most total yards in a game, with 701 yards of total offense, 378 of which came through the air.
"It was one of the most fun games I've ever been a part of," receiver Elijah Sarratt said on the record-breaking night, "To see all my guys go there and score, it was a great atmosphere out there."
Kurtis Rourke had a phenomenal game against Western Illinois, completing 15 of his 17 pass attempts, for 268 yards and two touchdowns.
That was a significant improvement over the 180 yards passing Rourke had in the week one win over Florida International. In the season opening win, the Hoosiers amassed a measly 33 yards passing in the second half.
Rourke was extremely efficient on Friday night as well, completing 15 of his 17 passes, and showcasing a level of accuracy rarely seen at the collegiate level -- even against this level of opponent the Hoosiers were facing.
"(Rourke) was firing on all cylinders," Sarratt said, adding that this game was nothing special for Rourke and that he is “always fun to play for.”
The passing attack was strong from the get-go, with Rourke firing on all cylinders on the first drive. He connected with Andison Coby for a 38-yard touchdown reception to make it 7-0 early on.
A couple of drives later, Rourke completed his longest pass of the day, a 71-yard laser to Saratt for a touchdown.
The connection through the air featured 48 yards of air time. The throw was also the first play of the drive, cementing just how dominant Indiana was to start out the contest.
Sarratt said after the game “I always love getting involved early,” while also giving praise to the offensive coaches for putting him and the rest of the offense in a position to succeed.
Rourke spread the wealth throughout the game, with seven receivers catching a pass from Rourke, showing just how deep the Indiana wide receiver room is and how Rourke can get multiple receivers involved effectively.
Rourke wasn’t the only QB to see action, as Tayven Jackson also contributed to the pass game, with the sophomore going 3-for3 on pass attempts for 104 yards.
He threw one touchdown that went for 69 yards to Omar Cooper Jr. While he was out there just briefly, Jackson looked solid and threw the ball with poise, not making an error on his three total passes.
Coach Cignetti said that it is "so good to see those young guys making some plays early in their career" when talking about the backups that got action during the game, Jackson being one of them.
While the receivers and Tayven Jackson played an integral part in the passing game being on point, the majority of the credit can be given to Rourke. He seemed to always make the right throw and was poised seemingly at all times, something that was not seen against FIU.
It is this improvement that was the biggest thing to see in the game against Western Illinois, mostly because of the difference in talent between the teams, but also because Rourke looked a little rattled at times against FIU.
This was not seen at all against WIU, something that Cignetti hopes can translate to Big Ten play.
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