Michael Penix Jr.'s Quarterback Tale of the Tape
Michael Penix Jr. first committed to Tennessee, but then the SEC team fired its coach and out with the discarded Butch Jones went the Volunteers' need for a spread-offense quarterback.
Penix regrouped and narrowed his choices to Florida State, South Florida and Indiana, with the Hoosiers putting on a full-court press after a junior-college quarterback fell through for them. The Big Ten program sent five different coaches into the Penix household in Tampa, Florida, and this show of strength won him over.
The dual-threat Penix also held offers from Oregon and Arizona from the Pac-12, not knowing he eventually would end up in the conference to finish off his college eligibility.
He stayed four seasons at Indiana, exciting the Hoosier faithful with his over-the-top heroics and depressing those same followers when he continuously got hurt and couldn't finish any of those seasons.
After he entered the transfer portal this past winter, the Indianapolis Star newspaper eulogized Penix's departure in this manner: "In his hands, Indiana's offense was among the most explosive and dangerous in the Big Ten."
The 6-foot-3, 213-pound Penix is in Seattle now, preparing to lead a University of Washington rebound from a 4-8 season after winning a three-player competition with returnees Dylan Morris and Sam Huard to become the starter.
He appears healthy and confident, eager to duplicate the 2019 success he enjoyed while answering to then-Indiana offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer, now his Husky head coach.
Penix has 20 games on his college football ledger, including 17 starts, 12 of which were victorious. Among the teams he beat were Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State. He was named second-team All-Big Ten in 2020.
He rang up a lot of prolific numbers for the Hoosiers, finishing with passing totals of 342-for-576 (59 percent) for 4,197 yards and 29 touchdowns, with 15 interceptions. He ran for 6 scores and 165 yards on 64 carries.
The following is a replay of each game he played for Indiana:
2018
Game 1: Indiana 38, Florida International 28 — As a true freshman, Penix made his college debut at the 10:55 mark of the third quarter in Miami, 280 miles south of his hometown of Tampa. He led the Hoosiers on an eight-play, 72-yard scoring drive on his first series, finishing it off with a 9-yard touchdown pass. His stat line: 8-for-10 passing for 96 yards and that one TD.
Game 3: Indiana 38, Ball State 10 — Penix came off the bench for some mop-up duty and completed 4 of 5 passes for 29 yards in his first appearance in Bloomington.
Game 8: Penn State 45, Indiana 14 — After not using him for four games, the Hoosiers decided to have their young phenom split time with starter Peyton Ramsey. That idea lasted until Penix hurt his knee at the 7:12 mark of the third quarter after Penn State linebacker Garrett Allen hit him, was called for targeting and drew an ejection. Penix was done for the season. His stat line that day: 9-for-19 passing for 94 yards.
Michael Penix Jr. looks for a receiver against Maryland.
Trevor Ruszkowski/USA TODAY Sports
2019
Game 1: Indiana 34, Ball State 24 — With a new offensive coordinator in Kalen DeBoer, Penix beat out two veteran quarterbacks in returning starter Peyton Ramsey and Utah transfer Jack Tuttle. Penix completed 24 of 40 passes for 326 yards and a touchdown pass that went for a career-long 75 yards. "His zip on the ball is elite," Indiana coach Tom Allen said of Penix. "He has some real talent."
Game 2: Indiana 52, Eastern Illinois 0 — Penix played less than two quarters and was good on 14 of 20 passes for 197 yards and a pair of scores as DeBoer cranked up the offense. "I love the way Kalen is able to keep defenses off balance," Allen said of his offensive mastermind.
Game 5: Michigan State 40, Indiana 31 — Penix sat out two games with a shoulder strain suffered against Eastern Illinois, didn't practice during the week and was sensational in East Lansing, Michigan. He connected on 33 of 42 passes for 286 yards and 3 TDs — completing 20 consecutive passes at one point, two shy of the Big Ten record — and ran seven times for 67 yards and a score. The Hoosiers, however, couldn't hang on to a three-point lead in the fourth quarter. "We had a great game plan," Allen said. "Coach DeBoer wanted to spread the ball around and make them play in space. Michael did a great job executing it."
Game 6: Indiana 35, Rutgers 0 — Penix helped put the Hoosiers up 21-0 in the first six-plus minutes of the game in Bloomington. He was highly accurate again, hitting 20 of 29 passes for 282 yards and 3 more scores.
Game 7: Indiana 34, Maryland 28 — Early in the second quarter, Penix had to leave and go into concussion protocol with the score tied at 14 on the road. He was good while it lasted, moving the Hoosiers 69 yards in five plays for a score on the opening drive and 75 yards in eight plays for a second TD. His passing stat line: 9-for-14 for 141 yards and a score.
Game 8: Indiana 34, Northwestern 3 — Penix returned to the starting lineup at home, put the Hoosiers up 17-3 with a 1-yard touchdown run and then suffered a shoulder injury before halftime that knocked him out for the rest of the season. His passing stat line: 10-of-15 for 162 yards.
Michael Penix Jr. stretches to beat Penn State in overtime with a two-point extra-point run.
Marc Lebryk/USA TODAY Sports
2020
Game 1: Indiana 36, Penn State 35 (OT) — The Hoosiers played before a national TV audience yet an empty stadium because of the pandemic and Penix was at his best at the end. Trailing 28-20, Penix scored on a 1-yard run with 22 seconds left in regulation and scampered in for a tying two-point conversion. He followed that up with a 9-yard TD pass in OT and another two-point run where he reached for the pylon and the win in beating the eighth-ranked Nittany Lions for just the second time in 24 tries. "Big-time players make big-time plays — that's what he did," Indiana tailback Stevie Scott III said. "He put the team on his back." The Penix passing line: 19-for-36 for 170 yards and a TD.
Game 2: Indiana 37, Rutgers 21 — Penix started 3-for-10 passing when his teammates dropped six balls. Everybody got it together later on, with the lefty completing 14 of his final 16 throws, good for a 17-for-26, 238-yard and 3-TD outing on the road.
Game 3: Indiana 38, Michigan 21 — The 23rd-ranked Wolverines tried to blitz Penix and he shredded their man-to-man coverage, completing 30 of 50 passes for 342 yards and 3 scores. He had 254 yards in the first half alone, giving the now 13th-ranked Hoosiers a 24-7 lead at the break in Bloomington. "This kid has some things that most guys don't have — the quick release, the accuracy, the arm strength," Allen said. "He's a great player. I believed in this kid. He has something special about him."
Game 4: Indiana 24, Michigan State 0 — Penix had his second consecutive 300-plus passing effort as the now 10th-ranked Hoosiers scored all of their points in the first half and ground out a big win in East Lansing. He finished with 25 completions in 38 attempts for 320 yards and a pair of scores.
Game 5: Ohio State 42, Indiana 35 — The nation's ninth- and third-ranked teams met in Columbus and the Hoosiers came up a touchdown short. They trailed 35-7 until Penix single-handedly tried to pull this one out, yet unable to convert two late chances at forcing overtime. He completed 27 of 51 passes for a career-best 491 yards and 5 touchdowns. He hit on throws of 68, 63, 56, 51 and 33 yards. "We're a great team," Penix said as Indiana fell to 4-1. "The guys fought. We fight the whole 60 minutes."
Game 6: Indiana 27, Maryland 11 — Penix ran for 21 yards and a first down, getting pushed out of bounds at the Terrapin 10 and landing hard. He injured his knee and was done for the season. His passing stat line: 6 completions in 19 attempts for 84 yards.
Michael Penix Jr. leaves the field at Penn State with a season-ending shoulder injury for Indiana last fall.
Mathew O'Haren/USA TODAY Sports
2021
Game 1: Iowa 34, Indiana 6 — Before a crowd of 68,166 in Iowa City, Penix wasn't sharp coming off his knee injury for the 17th-ranked Hoosiers. He completed 14 of 29 passes for 156 yards but threw a pair of pick-sixs among three interceptions.
Game 2: Indiana 56, Idaho 14 — The Hoosiers and Penix bounced back with an easy win over the visiting Northwest team in Bloomington. The QB completed 11 of 16 passes for 68 yards and 2 scores, and he ran for a touchdown.
Game 3: Cincinnati 38, Indiana 24 — Before a sellout crowd of 52,656 in Bloomington, the Hoosiers jumped out to a 14-0 lead and were up 24-23 heading into the fourth quarter but couldn't hold off the nation's 8th-ranked team and eventual CFP qualifier. Penix hit on 17 of 40 passes for 224 yards and 2 scores, but he served up three interceptions, including one in the Bearcats' end zone.
Game 4: Indiana 33, Western Kentucky 31 — With people continually saying Penix didn't look right coming back from his knee injury, the left-hander responded with a 35-for-53, 373-yard passing outing with no touchdown passes or interceptions. He scored on a first-quarter 1-yard run. He kept the Hoosiers on top from start to finish in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Game 5: Penn State 24, Indiana 0 — On Oct. 2, 2021, Penix's Hoosiers career unknowingly came to an undignified end when he was sacked in the third quarter and suffered another season-ending shoulder injury. He went out before a crowd of 105,951 in State College, Pennsylvania. His final Indiana stat line: 10 completions in 22 attempts for 118 yards.
Three months later Penix was headed to Seattle to rejoin DeBoer and another of his Indiana offensive coordinators in Nick Sheridan, who was hired as the UW tight-ends coach. Offensive fireworks have been predicted for Montlake.
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