Clemson Defensive Coordinator Excited To Play Former Team in the Pinstripe Bowl

Last season, the defensive coordinator, Tom Allen, helped lead the Penn State Nittany Lions to the National Championship in Atlanta.

Now, he will be facing his former team as the defensive playcaller for the Clemson Tigers.

A lot can change in a year, let alone a season, and the teams that were two of the preseason top four teams in the AP Poll are now meeting in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium, but Allen is excited to face his former team.

Despite only being there for one season, Allen will reunite with some important relationships that he made over the season.

“The first thought was that, you know, just looking forward to seeing the players and the coaches and the staff members that’ll be there,” he said on Wednesday, “and yeah, just I was only there for a year, but still built some good relationships. I think that’s what sticks out the most.”

Nittany Lions’ interim head coach, Terry Smith, was a colleague of Allen’s over the course of the 2024 season who “worked with him every single day”, being excited to face off a friend. Smith was the team’s cornerbacks coach while Allen was there, being promoted to the interim head coach after James Franklin was fired on Oct. 12.

After Franklin left, Smith’s guidance saw the Nittany Lions finish with a 6-6 record, just enough to find a spot in the bowl game. Allen gives him a lot of credit for the way he turned the season around.

“He played at Penn State, loves Penn State, and it’s not a surprise to me that, you know he’s been able to do a great job,” he said.

Another familiar face that he will see is now-starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer. A redshirt freshman, he was thrust into the starting role after starter Drew Allar suffered a lower-leg injury in the middle of the season. While Allen coached the defense, Grunkemeyer served as the scout team quarterback for the defense, going through plenty of reps together.

Now, being on opposite sides of the field, Allen says that he gives credit to Grunkemeyer’s development over the course of his six games played.

“Man, I think he’s a really good player. He’s obviously young, but he’s growing. You know, you’ve seen that growth throughout the games this season. I think he’s a very, very talented player and has a very live arm and does a great job reading his progressions and getting the ball where he needs to get it.”

Dec. 27 will be a game that will have a lot of emotion for the Clemson defensive coordinator, who was expecting this matchup to occur in the College Football Playoff in this month or in January. However, a reunion with his former team, no matter the circumstance, will be an exciting way to respond.

Kickoff is set for noon from New York City, and the game will be broadcast on ABC.