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Joey Galloway doubled down on Indiana-Kurtis Rourke take, despite pushback from Rece Davis

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Joey Galloway doubled down on Indiana-Kurtis Rourke take, despite pushback from Rece Davis


On Tuesday’s ESPN CFP Rankings Show, ESPN college football analyst Joey Galloway shocked the entire cast when he suggested that Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti should sit out starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke for the Hoosiers’ biggest game of the season Saturday against Ohio State. Just a day later, Galloway got a chance to explain his rationale for this opinion, and he doubled down on the comment.

Galloway’s suggestion for Indiana to bench Rourke for the game, which he said was largely made while considering the injury to Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis last year, drew instant criticism from the remainder of the cast, with Booger McFarland and Greg McElroy immediately pushing back against him.

On Wednesday, Galloway got a chance to defend his take when he joined Rece Davis on the College GameDay Podcast. Davis started off the podcast episode by affirming his respect and friendship with Galloway before wholeheartedly disagreeing with his opinion.

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“Joey, I’m having you on for a number of reasons. One, I have high regard for your talent. I consider us friends, I hope you feel the same way. You do such a tremendous job. You are astute in the ways of the (CFP) committee. You understand the complexities. You understand that it’s not a monolithic body. They have to come out with one answer, but there are differing opinions in the room.

“But the other reason you are on here is you said some things on the show last night that… Knowing you as I do, I almost felt like you were lobbing a smoke bomb into the midst of the crowd just to stir things up. Almost being facetious to make a point.

“Because what you said… You correct me if I’m wrong. If you were Indiana and the playoff predictor says that you have a 96 percent chance of making the playoff even if you lose to Ohio State. And the one thing you couldn’t have happen would be lose your quarterback, that you would sit Kurtis Rourke against Ohio State.

“I can’t wrap my head around this at all… As in you actually believing this is something they should do. Why would you say this is something Indiana should do?”

Galloway then replied, doubling down on his take that Indiana should sit Rourke because he believes that Indiana would be in the CFP even despite a loss to Ohio State, but wouldn’t if Rourke goes down with an injury.

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“Let me give you a little history, Rece,” said Galloway. “Because I have evolved. I was the guy that would argue when guys would sit out their bowl games. I was the guy that was like, I can’t believe they would do that.
“I’ve evolved now after watching what happened to Florida State last year with Jordan Travis. A team that was absolutely about to be in the playoff. There was no doubt they were in. Their quarterback gets hurt and now they are out of the playoff.

“I’m being 100 percent serious. If I am Indiana, I am considering not playing Kurtis Rourke. Now, I don’t have to make that decision. So it’s much easier from behind a desk to say ‘Don’t do it.’ I still feel that if you do play him, I would put him in a glass bottle and roll him out there.”

Galloway then went on to pose Davis a hypothetical question on whether he would rather beat Ohio State or make it into the College Football Playoff.

Davis replied like the majority of college football fans would, saying that a win over Ohio State all but ensures that Indiana would be in the playoff regardless of what happens the rest of the season.

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“Beating Ohio State,” said Davis. “Because you go to the playoff if you do that.  I respect your right to say this and I understand where you are coming from. But a couple of things as it pertains to this particular playoff and this particular team.

“Nobody in the history of the sport has lost more games than Indiana. Indiana is in a position right now to win the Big Ten. And if you put your quarterback on the shelf, you are saying you don’t really belong. We’re trying to sneak in the back door. And there is no way that Curt Cignetti is doing that, nor should he.”

Davis really hit the nail on the head in his reply to Galloway’s hypothetical question.

By benching Rourke, you are essentially saying that you feel like you are safe to make the CFP regardless of putting your best effort forward for the remainder of the season, which is obviously a terrible look to the committee.

Not only that, but you can’t assume that some freak injury is going to happen. That could happen at any given time in practice to any player.

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Galloway doesn’t seem to realize the kind of statement a potential win over Ohio State would mean for Indiana. Not only to the CFP Committee, but to the remainder of the contending teams in college football.

Regardless, Galloway is sticking to his guns despite all of the criticism online and the pushback from Davis here. And that’s at least admirable, albeit quite unpopular.

[ESPN College Football on YouTube]



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Kelsey Mitchell winner completes Fever comeback against Mercury, without Caitlin Clark

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Kelsey Mitchell winner completes Fever comeback against Mercury, without Caitlin Clark


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PHOENIX — The Indiana Fever barely eked out of Mortgage Matchup Arena with a 92-89 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday night on the second night of a back-to-back.

Caitlin Clark (rest) did not play after making her return on a minutes restriction on Wednesday against Los Angeles. Aliyah Boston, who missed the game against L.A. for precautionary reasons, finished with 19 points and eight rebounds against the Mercury.

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Kelsey Mitchell scored 29 points on 10-of-22 shooting, adding on eight assists. She hit the game-winning layup with 10 seconds left. Tyasha Harris finished with 15 points and five assists, including a stretch of nine of 11 Fever points to close the gap.

Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas had 22 points, six rebounds and seven assists, Kahleah Copper added 22 points and five rebounds.

Here’s what I liked and disliked, and what the win means.

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What I liked in the Indiana Fever’s win vs Phoenix Mercury

  • Early 3-point shooting: One of Boston’s main focuses this offseason was improving her 3-point shot, and it’s coming to fruition. She made two 3-pointers in the first quarter, helping lead the Fever to six total makes beyond the arc in the opening 10-minute period. Harris, starting in place of Clark, had two 3-pointers in the first quarter, as well, with Lexie Hull and Mitchell each making one. At the time, it was big for the Fever to maintain a lead.
  • Roaring back in the third quarter: Basketball is a game of runs, and the Fever embodied that. They led by 12 in the first, then trailed by four at halftime, then went on a 20-9 run over seven minutes in the third quarter to take a one-point lead by the end of the third. Mitchell was the one to lead that comeback, scoring nine points on 3-of-6 shooting along with three assists in that quarter. The third was crucial for the Fever not just to get back into the lead, but, especially on a back-to-back, to try and have the mental fortitude to close the game out.
  • Tyasha Harris coming in clutch: Harris’ role has expanded since Clark has been out (or limited), and she is making the most of her minutes. She scored nine points in the fourth quarter alone, including a 3-pointer with three minutes left to take the lead, then four straight points to give the Fever the lead again with 44 seconds left. She finished the game with 15 points and five assists, being the facilitator the Fever need while Clark recovers.

What I disliked in the Indiana Fever’s win vs Phoenix Mercury

  • Second-quarter slide: For the second straight game, the Fever held a double-digit lead in the first quarter then were trailing by halftime. The Fever allowed the Mercury to shoot 12 of 20 from the field in the second quarter (and 5 of 8 from 3-point range), completely negating the Fever’s six 3-pointers from the first quarter. Phoenix went on a 12-2 run over the final three minutes of the quarter, too, taking advantage of the Fever’s off the mark shots.
  • Silly mistakes: In a close game like this, every possession matters. And every mistake compounds. The Fever had a few in the second half, including a shot-clock violation from Harris where she wasn’t even in shooting motion yet, a defensive three-seconds foul from Aliyah Boston, a backcourt violation from Kelsey Mitchell, and another shot clock violation from Raven Johnson to start the fourth quarter. All of those mistakes gives Phoenix extra points or extra possessions. While the Fever ultimately won the game, it made it closer than it needed to be.

What the Indiana Fever’s win vs Phoenix Mercury means

Indiana (13-9) is a strong team offensively, but recently, the Fever haven’t been able to get out of their own way on defense. It showed in the runs they gave up to Phoenix, flip-flopping the lead and forcing the Fever to continue to play from behind. It worked out for Indiana this time around, finding what they needed when they needed it, but it won’t be sustainable long term.

Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at chloe.peterson@indystar.com or follow her on X at @chloepeterson67. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar TV: Fever for in-depth analysis, behind-the-scenes coverage and more.



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Attempted murder suspect arrested in Indianapolis for Bloomington shooting

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Attempted murder suspect arrested in Indianapolis for Bloomington shooting


BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — A Bloomington man was arrested Wednesday in Indianapolis on an attempted murder charge after police say he fired seven to eight rounds into a white GMC SUV occupied by three adults and four children last month in Bloomington before fleeing the area.

A news release issued Thursday from the Bloomington Police Department said members of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s special weapons and tactics team took Kafern P. Johnson, 32, into custody near the intersection of West 84th Street and Allison Avenue in Indianapolis without incident.

The arrest came more than two weeks after the June 23 shooting in the 1000 block of North Summit Street. That’s in a residential area next to Crestmont Park in Bloomington.

Monroe County Central Emergency Dispatch received 911 calls at 7:41 p.m. June 23 reporting gunfire in the area.

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Responding patrol officers and detectives determined Johnson had fired into the SUV following a verbal fight with the vehicle’s driver. Police said the dispute stemmed from an argument over a relationship.

No injuries were reported despite the number of people inside the vehicle.

Following his arrest, Johnson was taken to an IMPD facility for questioning and later booked into the Marion County jail. On Thursday morning, he was booked into the Monroe County jail.

The release said Johnson could face felony charges of attempted murder, criminal recklessness with a firearm, and pointing a firearm. No formal charges have yet been filed, according to online court records.

Bloomington police asked anyone with additional information to call 812-349-3324.

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This story was formatted for WISHTV.com using AI-assisted tools. Our editorial team reviews and edits all content published to ensure it meets our journalistic standards for accuracy and fairness.



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FAIRFIELD NATIVE AND HIS WIFE FOUND DEAD IN THEIR NEWBURGH, INDIANA HOME

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FAIRFIELD NATIVE AND HIS WIFE FOUND DEAD IN THEIR NEWBURGH, INDIANA HOME


Fairfield native, David K. Wells, 69, and his wife Aileen, were found dead inside their home in Newburgh, Indiana, Monday night. Warrick County Sheriff Michael Wilder said that deputies responded to the residence just before 8:00 p.m. after dispatch received a call around 7:40 p.m. from a friend of the family requesting a welfare check. When officers didn’t get an answer at the door, they entered through the back of the home and found the couple deceased. Officers cleared the home and waited for detectives to arrive. Investigators also obtained a search warrant to do a further examination of the residence. Authorities were able to notify family members and conduct interviews to gather additional information. Sheriff Wilder said investigators believe the couple had been dead for less than 24 hours before they were found. He also said there is no indication of any forced entry or an intruder. Sheriff Wilder has not made a formal determination as to what happened. Autopsies for the couple were scheduled for yesterday morning to help determine a cause. David Wells grew up in Fairfield and graduated from Fairfield High School in 1975. He had a long career in television commercial production in Evansville and had more recently operated the Cigar! Cigar! tobacco store in Evansville.



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