Michael Penix Jr. lands national honor after leading Indiana past Michigan for first time in 3 decades
Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was the key in the Hoosiers win over Michigan this past weekend in what was a statement game for not just the program but also the junior quarterback. Following his sensational performance, Penix was named a Manning Award Stars of the Week recipient.
Penix was 30-of-50 for 342 yards with three touchdowns in Indiana’s comprehensive win over Michigan on Saturday afternoon. It was another strong performance for Penix who has been lights-out for Indiana, who are 3-0 on the year and No. 10 in the polls.
👏 👏 👏 @themikepenix #IUFB pic.twitter.com/f78wwb5XCv
— Indiana Football (@IndianaFootball) November 9, 2020
The Hoosiers haven’t been ranked this high since 1969.
The Big Ten, which is in its third week of play, has seen a number of recipients already from the Manning Award. Three weeks ago, Ohio State’s Justin Fields and Wisconsin’s Graham Mertz got the nod in the conference’s first week of play. Then last week, three Big Ten quarterbacks received their stars: Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa, Michigan State’s Rocky Lombardi and Purdue’s Aidan O’Connell.
Eight quarterbacks are selected nationally each week with fan voting determining the weekly winner.
So far this season, Penix has 750 passing yards with seven touchdowns and an interception in leading the surprising Hoosiers. This past Saturday’s 38-20 win over Michigan, at the time ranked No. 23 in the polls, represented the second time this season that Indiana has beaten a ranked opponent.