Indiana's Young Weapons Stepping Up in Big Moments
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Michael Penix Jr. couldn't even see it when he let it go. From the ground, he had to look over at the sideline and judge his teammates' reaction to know if his pass was completed or not.
On first down with less than a minute to play, Penix rocketed a ball into the tightest of windows, immediately getting drilled by several Penn State defenders once letting it go.
The catch he couldn't see was made by redshirt sophomore Jacolby Hewitt, who was playing in his first-ever collegiate game.
The catch was just as great, if not better, than the throw itself. Hewitt had a defender draped all over him, but he was able to dive low to the ground and haul it in to give Indiana a first down at the 6-yard line, which led to a Hoosier touchdown two plays later to tie the game.
"I didn't even see the ball being caught. I just went off of the sideline reaction," Penix said on Monday. "I knew it was a great catch, obviously, because they played great defense on that play."
It was Hewitt's only catch of the day. It was also his first career catch, but it ill arguably be the biggest one for a while.
Hewitt, a Cordova, Tenn., native, redshirted as a freshman at Indiana in 2018 and then, heading into the 2019 season, he tore his ACL in June and missed the entire year.
"This was his first college football game and he made the biggest catch," Indiana coach Tom Allen said. "You watch that throw from Michael Penix on film, he got hit, it is a tiny, tiny window and it was an amazing catch by a young man, Jacolby, that has overcome so much."
The two plays before the Hewitt catch, Penix completed two passes to freshman Javon Swinton, who Indiana coaches have raved about during fall camp.
Swinton came to Indiana as an "athlete," and the Hoosiers have been using him as a receiver.
Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Javon Swinton (18) puts his arm around Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) after Penix won the game during the game at Memorial Stadium.
Marc Lebryk/USA TODAY Sports
Penix found the freshman on back-to-back plays. The first was a 13-yard completion to advance to the Penn State 30, and the second was a 10-yard completion to set up the Hewitt catch.
It was Swinton's first collegiate game. He only played nine overall snaps in the entire contest. He was only targeted twice, and he caught both balls to move the Hoosiers down the field on a do-or-die possession.
"Guys like Javon Swinton, I have mentioned him several times, he had nine snaps in the game and two of the biggest catches of the game in the final drive to go score to tie it up," Allen said. "To be put in those kinds of situations and make those plays is very pleasant."
It was a couple of big plays from two young receivers that are looking to show their worth on the field.
Both Swinton and Hewitt are talented, athletic receivers, and it's been something Penix has seen all throughout fall camp. The Hoosier quarterback trusted them to make plays, and he will continue to do so as the season progresses.
"I said it in the conference last week. I said there's gonna be some young receivers that step up and Javon and Jacolby Hewitt were two guys I mentioned," Penix said. "I knew those guys were gonna have to come out on game day and have to make plays, and that's what they did.
'I'm proud of them."
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