Indiana football: Allen says latest Penix injury is something new

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — For the third time this season, Michael Penix Jr., Indiana's talented redshirt freshman quarterback, is out with another injury.

In the brief time he has been out on the field this season, the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder from Tampa, Fla., has been sensational. But he's been knocked out of three games now, most recently leaving Saturday's win at Northwestern late in the second quarter.

Indiana coach Tom Allen refuses to discuss the specifics of injuries to his players, so we didn't learn anything about Penix at Monday's news conference. All Allen would say is that Penix's injury Saturday night "is not related'' to the first two injuries.

In Week 2 against Eastern Illinois on Sept. 7, Penix left right before halftime, and video from Louisville TV station XXXX showed him walking off the field while awkwardly holding his left arm. Indiana never released specifics of the injury, but during coverage of the game on Sept. 28 when he returned against Michigan State, it was mentioned that Penix had been recovering from a shoulder injury.

At Maryland three weeks ago, Penix was hit hard at the end of the first quarter, and came up looking dazed and wobbly. He returned for four plays at the start of the second quarter, but then went to the medical tent and locker room and didn't return. He missed the next week at Nebraska as well.

And now this, a third undisclosed injury. Indiana has a bye before playing at Penn State on Nov. 16, so getting more information any time soon is unlikely

"We don't know much more about Mike Penix yet. We should know more this afternoon so we'll get that update next week when we meet on Monday,'' Allen said. "We'll continue to move forward and got some other guys that have got to get healthy, get in that training room and take full advantage of a great staff that we have.''

Allen says he isn't hiding anything.

"I truly do not know,'' he said. "So if I did, I would give you more of a basis. I will know hopefully here soon (later on Monday).''

Allen said that making these "game-time decisions'' between Penix and junior quarterback Peyton Ramsey does make it difficult for opposing teams to prepare, but he said that's not their back-handed motive at all.

"I will say that on the other side of it (as a former defensive coordinator), I hate not knowing who the quarterback's going to be,'' Allen said. "You can say all you want, but you really like to know what you've got, know who your dealing with and get a plan together. So, yeah, there are some benefits to that on our end, that they don't know.

"But it's not by grand design that we're scheming that every week. That's just the way it's played out. But, yeah, it definitely creates a little bit of uncertainty. I like to know things and be able to plan accordingly.''

Allen says they have been trying to be careful with Penix to make sure he doesn't get hit often in games. Football is, after all, a physical game.

"It's tough,'' Allen said "You've got to keep guys healthy and we don't hit him during the week for a reason, but they get hit on game day. You can't keep that blue (practice) jersey on. I think that we have to, moving forward, you always have to be very careful in how you use them to limit the number of hits that they take. You can't eliminate them, it's not possible. It's a full contact game.''

Penix is tall and thin and maybe more susceptible to injury than most. Allen said the long-term goal with him is to get him thicker and stronger. He does have the frame to handle more weight, Allen said.

"I just think for him just moving forward, and we have talked about this, he just needs to get bigger and gain a lot more good muscle mass on his frame,'' Allen said. "He's got a good frame and we have a good plan for that here to continue for him to grow in that area and put on good weight and get thicker so he will be able to take the hits he's going to take at this level and beyond.''

Indiana is 7-2 and bowl eligible, but there's still a lot to accomplish as well in the final three weeks of the season. Games against No. 5 Penn State and No. 14 are golden opportunities to make some noise on the national level, and the regular season ends with a Nov. 30 showdown at Purdue for the Old Oaken Bucket.

Ramsey has been solid in relief of Penix, but there's something special about the left-handed. He was 10-for-15 passing for 162 yards in the quarter-plus that he played Saturday night.

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