Michigan coach Lloyd Carr yesterday refused to rule Chad Henne out for Saturday's game against the No. 10 Nittany Lions, offering few specifics on the injury that kept Henne out of last week's game against Notre Dame.
Henne, the Wolverines regular starting quarterback, did not play last week after suffering an undisclosed right leg injury, called a "sprain" by Carr, one week earlier against Oregon.
"He's day-to-day," Carr said at a press conference in Ann Arbor, Mich. "I'll see how he does this week. And, ultimately, I will decide depending on what I see."
The Michigan athletic department declined to comment further on Henne's injury and playing status.
"He's going to know when he's ready," Carr said. "A player in a situation like a sprain, we have guys who play every week with an ankle that's sprained. It's really how much, how effective you can be and how much discomfort you can endure."
If Henne doesn't play, Michigan will start Ryan Mallett, a 6-foot-7, 252-pound freshman, for the second consecutive week. Mallett was 7-for-15 passing for 90 yards and three touchdowns in Michigan's 38-0 win against the Fighting Irish.
If Mallett starts, Penn State (3-0) would face a freshman quarterback for the third time in four games.
Henne was injured during the second half of Michigan's second game this year, a 39-7 loss to Oregon. The Pennsylvania native was not listed on yesterday's team depth chart, which listed first and second stringers, but has been at team functions, Michigan tight end Mike Massey said.
"He's with us every day at practice. He's still very much fulfilling [a] leadership role," Massey said. "He's working hard with rehab and getting better. He's still studying hard, working hard."
Henne is 2-0 against Penn State, a school he seriously considered attending before choosing Michigan late in the recruiting process.
"You better believe it hurts him not to be able to compete against Penn State. It won't be because he doesn't want to play, that's for darn sure," said Jim Cantafio, who coached Henne at Wilson High School in Wyomissing, Pa.
Cantafio said he considers Henne a second son. They speak on the phone frequently and play golf together when Henne returns to Pennsylvania.
"It's a matter of getting his injury healthy so he can play at that level. You can't walk on that field against Penn State at 75 percent," Cantafio said. "I can't see them playing him unless he's close to 100 percent."
However, Carr said Henne could play Saturday even if he isn't able to practice this week.
"Chad Henne has got enough experience that he could play without practice," Carr said. "But you know, those are all decisions that we make as we go forward."
Penn State will try to end an eight-game losing streak against Michigan (1-2) this weekend. The Lions have not beaten the Wolverines since 1996.
Collegian staff writer Mark Viera contributed to this article.
