Clemson Tigers Can't Brave Cold, Lose to Penn State in Pinstripe Bowl

BRONX, N.Y. — The Clemson Tigers closed out their 2025 season with a loss against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl by a score of 22-10 at Yankee Stadium.

In the coldest game of the season for Clemson, which featured a morning snowfall and below-freezing temperatures, the Tigers were unable to brave the cold, snapping a 14-year streak of winning at least one postseason game, the longest active streak in the FBS.

The Nittany Lions used a 16-point fourth quarter to close out the game, snapping the Tigers’ four-game winning streak to kill momentum going into the offseason, something head coach Dabo Swinney was looking for .

In a game that featured eight punts total, the Tigers struggled to move the chains on third down to continue drives. With an average of 7.4 yards to go, Clemson only converted five of its 15 attempts in the loss.

Penn State, on the other hand, converted 11-of-19, leading to the plethora of scores.

The Nittany Lions sealed the game with back-to-back touchdown drives in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer finished the Tigers off with a 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Andrew Rappleyea, finishing off Swinney’s team in the Bronx.

Penn State continued to add to a lead with two field goals after a 3-3 tie in the second half. Then, two missed tackles saw wideout Trebor Peña scamper away for a 73-yard catch-and-run, putting the game at a double-digit deficit to score the first touchdown of the game.

Clemson then responded, with a 10-play drive that was capped off by a rushing touchdown by running back Adam Randall, his 10th rushing touchdown of the season. However, the team was unable to play complimentary football when it mattered most.

The Nittany Lions torched the Tigers on the ground, recording 143 rushing yards compared to Clemson’s 43.

Quarterback Cade Klubnik finished up his Clemson career with a 193-yard performance, completing 56% of his passes. In the game, he passed Tajh Boyd for the most completions by a Tiger quarterback in program history, throwing 916 of them, leaving his mark as he heads for a hopeful NFL career.

Wide receiver T.J. Moore led the room, being critical in the first half, with six receptions for 83 yards. It included a 45-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter, but Clemson would miss a field goal later on in the drive.

Especially early on, drops killed the Tigers from resuming drives. It began the game with a lot of momentum, leading to the early scoring drought in the loss.

The Tigers will now head into the offseason after an underwhelming season, one that saw the team ranked preseason No. 4 in the AP Top 25 poll. Next up, transfer portal decisions and more NFL Draft decisions are expected to be made.