Penix, Philyor Develop Trust Playing Fortnite, NBA2K

Written by Amanda Pavelka (@amandapavelka3)

Redshirt freshman quarterback Michael Penix has thrown to junior wide receiver Whop Philyor more than any other man in Indiana’s talented receiving corps. When asked about their special connection after Saturday’s homecoming shutout, Philyor let us in on the key to preparing in their recent offensive dominance— the secret is Fortnite.

“We play Fortnite and NBA2K together. We watch film while we’re playing the game and talk about little things we could do to get us going,” Philyor explained. 

Fortnite, as in the shooter-survival game where players kill off zombie-like monsters, fighting to be the last man standing, has flourished a special kind of bond between the duo from Tampa, Florida.

“We trust each other on games and we trust each other on the field,” Philyor said. 

That trust has translated to the field since Penix’s bounce back from injury against Michigan State, to be a key on offense halfway through the season, 4-2 with a bowl bid in an arm’s reach. 

“He trusts me and I trust in him to run the right routes, Coach (DeBoer) putting us in the right situations and the offensive line holding up and allowing me to give him the ball,” Penix said. 

Both were forced to sit out with injuries much of the 2018 season— Penix with a torn ACL and Philyor with more than one injury, his high ankle sprain being the number one setback as a sophomore. With the injuries behind them, they’ve made quite the dominant duo.

“I think Mike does a really good job getting the ball out in front of him (Philyor), so when he catches it, he's moving and running away from the defenders,” Tom Allen said in Monday’s press conference.

In back-to-back games Philyor has shown out— totaling 24 catches for 324 yards between Michigan State and Rutgers matchups. His 6.8 grabs per game puts him tied for 10th in the Big Ten. Philyor is also one of two Big Ten receivers to end two games in double figure catches.

“Just neat to see him rewarded for that by getting a chance to make plays. And he's blocking his tail off. That's just the part I love. Works in the run game, on the perimeter game, and he's not very big, but there's a toughness to him and a competitive spirit him,” Allen said.

The combination of Penix’s arm and Philyor’s playmaking have become a weapon of destruction for Indiana’s opponents, and just in time for the series of road games that will make or break Indiana’s postseason potential.