BREAKING: Indiana QB Michael Penix Jr. Out For Year after Surgery on Clavicle
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Flashy Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr. hasn't been able to stay healthy all season, and it looks like his latest injury on Saturday will finish his season.
Penix, the redshirt freshman from Tampa, Fla., suffered a right sternoclavicular joint injury. Saturday when he was taken to the ground hard by a Northwestern defender on a scramble near the goal line late in the second quarter. He was replaced by Peyton Ramsey mid-game for the third time this season and didn't return.
He was evaluated by doctors, and it was determined that surgery was necessary. It was done Monday afternoon, and the school announced Tuesday night via Twitter that his season was over.
Here's what the school release said:
"Indiana redshirt freshman quarterback will miss the remainder of the 2019 regular season and the postseason with a right sternoclavicular joint injury. Penix underwent surgery on Monday and it was determined following the surgery that he will not return for the remainder of the year.
"We feel really bad for Mike," Indiana head coach (Tom Allen) said. "He's worked extremely hard and had a great season. He'll recover from this and get bigger and stronger this offseason. Mike has a very bright future with the Hoosiers.
Penix has been one of the best quarterbacks in the country this season when he has been able to stay on the field. He's been in Pro Football Focus' weekly top-10 rankings many times. He's 110-for-160 passing (68.8 percent) for 1,394 yards, with 10 touchdown passes and four interceptions.
"He will be back to claim the Heisman (Trophy),'' Michael's mother, Takisha Penix, said from her home in Tampa.
Penix beat out Ramsey in the preseason, but he hasn't been able to play full games in back-to-back weeks yet this year.
He played in the opener against Ball State, but then left just before halftime in Week 2 with what was later described as a shoulder strain.
He missed the next two games against Ohio State and Connecticut, and then returned on Sept. 28 at played great on the road in the narrow loss to Michigan State.
After a bye week, he started the 35-0 win against Rutgers, but the following week at Maryland, he got hit hard late in the first quarter and came up wobbly. He went to the sideline and returned for the first four plays of the second quarter, but then went into the medical tent and then locker room, not to return.
He missed the Nebraska game, but then started against Northwestern. Again, he didn't make it to halftime, going down on that hard hit right before halftime.
These three injuries are on top of the more serious injury a year ago, when he tore his ACL in the Oct. 20 game against Penn State. He worked hard all offseason in rehab to be ready for the start of the season, and he was, but it's been one frustration after another.
Michael Penix Jr's mother was tweeting for prayers on Monday.
Indiana is off this week, and returns to action Nov. 16 at No. 5 Penn State. No. 14 Michigan visits Bloomington a week later, and now it will be up to Ramsey to keep the Indiana offense rolling.
"We have total faith in Peyton. He's my guy,'' Indiana wide receiver Whop Philyor said last week when Penix's status was up in the air. "It does matter who plays, Mike or Peyton, we're going to move the ball on anybody. We love both guys, and they both can play.''
