Kick Time and Televison announced for the Indiana-Nebraska Football Game The marquee matchup involving Indiana and Nebraska will kick at Noon on Oct. 19 and air nationally on FOX. Although no formal announcement has been made, there appears to be a good chance FOX will bring its Big Noon Kickoff show to Bloomington for the second time in three years. The game is the focal point of a full weekend at IU that also includes Homecoming, and Hoosier Hysteria for the basketball programs. Both No. 18/20 Indiana (6-0) and Nebraska (5-1) are on bye this week ahead of their meeting at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington. Nebraska has wins over UTEP, Colorado, Northern Iowa, Purdue and Rutgers this season. Their lone loss came at home to Illinois. Indiana holds a 10-9-3 edge in the all-time series against Nebraska. This will be the Cornhuskers first trip to IU since 2016.
Kurtis Rourke earns Second Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week Award
For the second time in 2024, Indiana senior quarterback Kurtis Rourke has earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after leading the Hoosiers to a conference road victory. He shares the Week 6 honor with Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka. Rourke posted the ninth-most passing yards by a Hoosier against a Big Ten opponent when he completed 25-of-33 passes for 380 yards and three touchdowns. He connected with eight different receivers in the game and found three different pass catchers for touchdowns.
Overall, his 380 yards rank No. 14 on the single game passing charts at IU and finished tops in the Big Ten for Week 6. He was the highest-rated starting quarterback in the Big Ten per Pro Football Focus and the only 300-yard passer in the Power 4 to throw multiple touchdowns passes and zero interceptions during the sixth week of the season. The Oakville, Ontario native, is the first Indiana signal caller with at least three touchdown passes in each of his first three Big Ten contests since 1967. He currently leads the Big Ten in touchdown passes (14), passing yards (1,752), yards per attempts (10.9) and passer rating (192.1). He is the first Indiana player to earn multiple Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors since 2020 when Ty Fryfogle (Week 4 & 5) claimed the award in back-to-back weeks. The last quarterback to earn multiple Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors was Nate Sudfeld in Weeks 12 and 13 of the 2015 season.
With Six Wins already under his belt IU Football Head Coach Curt Cignetti earns bonuses per his Contract
Just six games into his Indiana tenure, Curt Cignetti has already matched or exceeded the best full season win totals of 23 of the 29 Indiana head coaches who preceded him. In November, Cignetti signed a six-year deal worth an initial average of $4.5 million per year and win number six triggered an extension and significant bonuses in his contract. Indiana is now bowl eligible, and that brings Cignetti a one-year extension, a $250,000 pay increase, and a $500,000 increase to the budget for football staff personnel meaning for assistants and support staff, to be distributed at Cignetti’s discretion. This could be just the beginning for Cignetti. His contract with IU contains the following bonus provisions, all of which appear to be in play at the moment. $100,000 for winning five Big Ten games in a season, or $150,000 for six Big Ten wins.
$250,000 for a top six finish (out of the 18-team conference beginning next fall), $500,000 for a second-place finish, or $1 million for a Big Ten championship. $200,000 for a bowl appearance that isn’t part of the College Football Playoff, with an extra $50,000 if IU wins that bowl game. $500,000 for a College Football Playoff first-round appearance, $600,000 for reaching the quarterfinals, $700,000 for reaching the semifinals, $1 million for reaching the national title game, and $2 million for winning a national championship. $50,000 for winning Big Ten Coach of the Year, whether through the coaches vote or the media vote. $100,000 for winning any of the major National Coach of the Year honors (AP, the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award, Sporting News, Walter Camp, Maxwell Football Club, or ABC/ESPN).
Two Former Indiana University Baseball players shining in the MLB Postseason
Former Indiana University Hoosiers Kyle Schwarber and Tim Herrin are in the Major League Baseball Playoffs. Schwarber and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied 1-1 with the New York Mets in the best of five National League Division Series while Herrin and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Detroit Tigers in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Saturday.
Schwarber went 2-5 with a home run in Game 1 in a 6-2 loss over the Mets on Saturday. On Sunday he went 0-5 in a 7-6 win. Including the postseason which is 152 games, Schwarber has 144 Hits, 111 Runs, 39 Home Runs, 105 Runs Batted In, 22 Doubles and 106 walks in 583 at bats. For his career Schwarber has played 1,129 games with 905 Hits, 689 Runs, 284 Home Runs, 652 Runs Batted In, 152 Doubles, 12 Triples and 656 Walks in 3,940 at bats. The 31-year-old is in his 10th season and third with the Phillies. Schwarber played for the Chicago Cubs from 2015-2020 and split time between the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox in 2021. Schwarber played for the Hoosiers from 2012-14 and was drafted 4th overall by the Chicago Cubs in the Major League Baseball Draft.
Herrin pitched 1 inning on Saturday striking out 2 and walking 1 batter in a 7-0 win. Including Postseason, the Terre Haute South Graduate has appeared in 76 games and pitched 66.2 innings. Herrin has allowed 39 Hits, 17 Runs, 14 Earned Runs, 2 Home Runs, 26 Walks and struck out 70 batters. He has played in 98 games and pitched 93.1 innings. Herrin has struck out 100 batters, given up 68 Hits, 35 Runs, 31 Earned Runs, 5 Home Runs and 37 walks. Herrin is 27 years old and in his second season with the Guardians. Herrin Pitched for the Hoosiers from 2016-18 and was selected by the Guardians in the 29th Round of the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft.
Parings announced for the IHSAA Girls Volleyball State Tournament
The IHSAA announced the parings for the 53rd annual Girls Volleyball State Tournament Sunday Evening. 399 teams will begin the road to the state finals next week when sectional play gets underway. 64 sites across the state will host the sectional starting Tuesday October 15, through Saturday October 19 in four different classes. Two Regional Championship matches will be played in a doubleheader format at the same site on Saturday October 26, with the winner advancing to a four team Semi State on Saturday November 2. The State Finals will be held on Saturday November 9, at Worthen Arena on the Ball State University Campus in Muncie for the 18th consecutive year where four State Champions will be crowned.
In Class 4A at Bloomington North. Terre Haute South 16-12 and Martinsville 10-15 will battle on Thursday Night in the opening round at 6pm with the winner taking on Terre Haute North 11-13 in the Second Semifinal on Saturday Afternoon at 1pm. Bloomington North 16-9 and Bloomington South 13-13 will battle in the first semifinal at 11am with the Championship game on Saturday Night at 6pm. In Class 3A at Speedway. Edgewood 14-14 got the bye and will face the winner of Thursday’s 6 pm game between 5-16 Owen Valley and winless Indianapolis Washington in the First Semifinal on Saturday at 11 am. Northview 27-1 will face the winner of Thursday 7:30 pm game between Cascade 17-12 and Speedway 12-6 in the second semifinal at 1 pm with the winners meeting for the Championship Game Saturday Night at 6 pm. Northview has won 19 straight without losing a set and they are looking for their third straight Sectional Title and 15th overall.
In Class 1A at White River Valley. Lighthouse Christian 18-6 will face Cloverdale 1-20 on Tuesday at 6pm in the first match followed by White River Valley 5-16 against Bloomfield 7-17 at 7:30pm. The Winners will face off Saturday Morning in the First Semifinal at 11am. On Thursday Clay City 7-9 will face North Central (Farmersburg) 2-19 at 6pm followed by 15-7 Shakamak facing 4-19 Dugger Union at 7:30pm with the winners meeting on Saturday in the second semifinal 12:30pm followed by the Championship Game Saturday Night at 7pm. It’s been since 2018 that a Monroe County Team has won a Sectional Championship in Girls Volleyball when Bloomington South won its 15th in program history. Edgewood has 10 Sectional Titles with their last one coming in 2012 and Bloomington North has won 5 Sectional Titles with the last coming in 2005. Lighthouse Christian is looking for its first Sectional Championship in any sport.
Indianapolis Colts fall in Jacksonville to the Jaguars 37-34
Jacksonville’s EverBank Stadium continues to be a “house of horrors” for the Colts. The Jaguars won their first game of the season on Sunday, beating Indianapolis, 37-34. Jaguars’ kicker Cam Little made a 49-yard field goal with 17 seconds left to help Jacksonville clinch its victory. The Colts have not won on the road in Jacksonville since Andrew Luck threw four touchdowns in a 44-17 rout in 2014. Backup quarterback Joe Flacco filled in admirably for starter Anthony Richardson, rallying the team from a 14-point deficit late in the fourth quarter to tie the game. Richardson sat out with an oblique injury he suffered last week against Pittsburgh. Flacco finished 33-of-44 for 359 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
The Colts took an early lead, driving 71 yards in 12 plays for the first points of the game. Flacco connected with wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. on a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line for a touchdown. The Colts’ defense made a stop on Jacksonville’s first possession, as quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw an incompletion on fourth-and-2 from the Indianapolis 26-yard line to turn the ball over on downs. The Colts’ defense held strong on the Jaguars’ next possession, limiting Jacksonville to a field goal after it drove to the 4-yard line. Indy’s defense broke the third time Jacksonville had the ball, as Lawrence hit rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas for an 85-yard touchdown and a 10-7 lead. The Colts tied the game on a Matt Gay 30-yard field goal. Then, Jacksonville generated a score off a turnover before the end of the first half.
Jaguars’ defensive end Travon Walker stripped Flacco. Defensive lineman Josh Hines-Allen recovered and returned the ball to the Indianapolis 12-yard line with six seconds left in the half. Little kicked a 30-yard field goal on the next play to send Jacksonville to the locker room with a 13-10 advantage. The teams exchanged punts to start the second half with a Nick Cross interception of Lawrence mixed in before the offenses exploded. Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby scored from 19 yards out to make it 20-10. The Colts answered with an 18-yard scoring strike from Flacco to tight end Mo Alie-Cox. Lawrence found tight end Brenton Strange for a four-yard touchdown to make it 27-17. The Colts responded with a Gay 37-yard field goal to keep it a one-possession game. Bigsby broke free for a 65-yard touchdown run to extend Jacksonville’s lead to 34-20, but the Colts refused to quit. Flacco and wide receiver Alec Pierce connected for a 46-yard gain down to the Jaguars’ one-yard line. Colts running back Trey Sermon scored on the next play to cut the deficit to 34-27.
The defense forced a three-and-out before Flacco found Pierce for another huge play — a 65-yard touchdown to tie the game at 34 with 2:40 left in the fourth quarter. Lawrence drove Jacksonville 39 yards in eight plays to set up Little’s game-winning field goal. Colts’ starting right guard Will Fries appeared to suffer a serious injury in the third quarter. He had to be taken off the field on a cart. His teammates surrounded him in support as he left for the locker room. Undrafted free agent Dalton Tucker filled his spot on the offensive line. Running back Jonathan Taylor (ankle), center Ryan Kelly (neck), cornerback Kenny Moore II (hip) and defensive end Kwity Paye (quadricep) also missed the game with injuries. The Colts will play their second straight divisional road game when they visit the Tennessee Titans next Sunday at 1pm on CBS.