Clemson stumbles to 7-6 with 22-10 loss to Penn State in Pinstripe Bowl

Clemson came to New York for the lights, the landmarks and the holiday atmosphere. Somewhere along the way, the Tigers appeared to forget there was a football game attached, falling 22–10 to Penn State on Saturday in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.

For all of Clemson’s struggles, the game lingered within reach longer than it probably should have. The Tigers entered the fourth quarter trailing just 6–3, a score that suggested competitiveness without ever truly feeling like control.

That illusion ended quickly.

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Penn State (7-6) opened the final quarter with a field goal to extend the lead to 9–3. 

Clemson followed with a three-and-out, and moments later watched the game break open when Ethan Grunkemeyer hit Trebor Pena on a post route that turned into a 73-yard touchdown. 

Clemson answered with its most physical drive of the afternoon, capped by Adam Randall’s two-yard touchdown run with 8:47 remaining to pull it to a 15–10 score. 

Any hope of a finish, however, was short-lived. 

Penn State responded immediately, marching 75 yards on eight plays in under four minutes before Grunkemeyer found Andrew Rappleyea for an 11-yard touchdown that effectively ended any hope of Clemson picking up a fifth straight win.

The separation showed up most clearly in Clemson’s inability to sustain offense. 

Outside of a 44-yard reception by T.J. Moore, the Tigers averaged just 2.5 yards per play in the first half. 

That lone explosive play set up a 33-yard field goal attempt by Nolan Hauser, which he pushed wide. Hauser later connected from 47 yards, but the missed opportunity early loomed larger as the game wore on.

Cade Klubnik entered the day with individual milestones in play, breaking Clemson’s career completions record on that same throw to Moore — his 902nd, passing Tajh Boyd. The moment came and went quietly, overshadowed by an outing that never sparked the offense.

Klubnik finished 22-for-39 for 193 yards. 

The numbers weren’t disastrous, but they fell short of what Clemson needed against a Penn State defense missing more than half of its starters. 

Receivers were charged with three drops, though several more catchable balls hit the turf. 

Klubnik didn’t escape blame either, taking sacks that stalled drives before they could develop.

The running game never found footing. 

In his final game in a Clemson uniform, Randall carried it 11 times for 35 yards. 

Gideon Davidson added just four attempts for 11 yards. Clemson averaged just 1.7 yards per carry on 25 rushing attempts, continuing the season-long struggle to establish a physical identity on the ground.

Moore was the lone consistent bright spot offensively, catching six passes for 83 yards and playing with a noticeable edge. Tyler Brown was the only other receiver to finish with more than two catches. He had three catches totaling 31 yards but had two costly drops.

Defensively, Clemson leaned heavily on second-string players. 

The unit wasn’t dominant, but it kept the Tigers within striking distance longer than the offense did before wearing down and allowing 269 yards in the second half.

Penn State freshman Quinton Martin, a third-string running back, put up 101 yards on 20 attempts. Overall, Penn State outgained Clemson 397–236 and doubled the Tigers’ rushing output.

Both teams arrived shorthanded. 

Penn State was without its starting quarterback, top two running backs, four of five offensive linemen, seven defensive starters, and its head coach. Clemson’s issues, then, were harder to explain away.

Clemson averaged just 3.6 yards per play, well below its season average of 5.7. 

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More concerning, the offense offered little indication of what might come next at the positions that matter most, making the afternoon feel less like a bridge to the future and more like a pause.

An eighth win would have preserved Clemson’s familiar baseline.

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Instead, the Tigers (7-6) close the season with a loss that underscores the distance between preseason No. 4 expectations and where the program currently stands.

The trip may have provided memories. The game, however, provided something more useful – a clear reminder that Clemson has significant off-season work left to do, long after the lights of New York fade from view.

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