Who Has the Quarterback Edge: Penn State or Indiana?
Who has the edge in the quarterback duel between Penn State and Indiana? We discussed that topic with Tom Brew, publisher of SI's HoosiersNow channel, in the video above.
Penn State's Sean Clifford returns for his second season as the starter, having thrown for a 59.2 completion rate last year with 23 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.
Last year Clifford went just 11 of 23 against Indiana but scored two rushing touchdowns and ran for a key first down on a nine-minute, fourth-quarter drive that sealed a 34-27 victory.
"His ability to run the football was what cost us,'' Indiana defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said this week. "We did a good job of limiting them in their passing game, but Clifford beat us with his feet. I think he's better and better in the passing game, and it will be interesting to see him in this new offense."
Penix, meanwhile, is starting his first game since Nov. 2, when he sustained a season-ending injury against Northwestern. The following week, Penix's backup Peyton Ramsey threw for 371 yards against Penn State.
Injuries, including a torn ACL he sustained against Penn State in 2018, derailed Penix's promise the past two seasons. But the quarterback gained nearly 20 pounds this offseason, bulking his 6-3 frame to 218 pounds to sustain durability.
In scouting the left-handed Penix, Penn State defenders all pointed to his strong arm that can produce big plays downfield. Terry Smith, Penn State's cornerbacks coach, doesn't want to see Penix repeat Ramsey's success against his secondary.
"This kid's a good quarterback," Smith said. "He's a pocket guy who's looking to dissect the coverage. We think that our man cover skills are better this year, we think our zone cover skills are better. It's been a conscious effort for the entire back seven to make sure this season doesn't repeat itself."
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