Tom Allen: Indiana QB Michael Penix Jr. Still 'Week-to-Week' For Michigan State Game
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana coach Tom Allen announced on Monday morning that quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is still ''week-to-week'' with a shoulder injury and did not rule him out for Saturday’s game against Michigan State, and that Jack Tuttle will get the start behind center.
Penix was knocked out of the game at Penn State on Oct. 2 and suffered a separation to the AC joint in his left shoulder. He was injured in the third quarter, and did not return to the game. During the bye week, he has been receiving treatment and been following a protocol of rest and rehabilitation, Allen deemed the injury as "week-to- week'' prior to Indiana’s bye week, but now it’s clear that Penix is going to miss some time.
"Mike is rehabbing and it's week-to-week and that hasn't changed,'' Allen said. "That hasn't changed. Jack, as always, will be ready to go. We're excited about this week. It's a great opportunity for us.''
Allen doesn't like to talk about who's injured or available during the week, and same applies for Penix this week. When asked, he said he will not update anyone on whether Penix practices or not, or whether he will play on Saturday. "You all will know at noon on Saturday,'' he said.
When Penix got knocked out of the Penn State game, it was the sixth time in his career at Indiana since 2018 that he’s been knocked out of the game. It started his freshman year, during his first start during his first career start when he tore his ACL against Penn State.
In 2019, he had to leave Indiana's second game of the season against Eastern Illinois with a shoulder strain, and missed two games after that. In late October, he missed the end of the Maryland game after he suffered a concussion, and two weeks later he was out for the season after having a clavicle injury against Northwestern.
He started the first six games — going 5-1 with wins over three ranked teams — of the 2020 season, but then suffered a second ACL injury in the win over Maryland in late November.
Penix worked feverishly in the offseason to be ready for the season opener after the ACL injury, and he started the Hoosiers first five games at quarterback going 2-3 with the three losses against three of the top seven teams in the country.
