3 Keys to a Penn State Victory Over Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl

The Nittany Lions seek to end a chaotic 2025 season with a four-game winning streak.

Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton (33) reacts following a tackle during the second quarter against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State and Clemson square off Saturday for just the second time in school history. The two will battle at Yankee Stadium in the Pinstripe Bowl, a destination that seemed unlikely at the beginning of the season. 

The game will be Terry Smith’s last as the Nittany Lions’ interim head coach, ending a wild and chaotic 2025 campaign. Can Smith lead Penn State to a four-game win streak to end the season? Here are three keys for Penn State to go out on top. 

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Lean on the ground game

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Kaytron Allen (13) carries the ball during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Clemson’s rushing defense ranked 14th in the FBS in the regular season (102.8 rushing yards per game), but the Tigers will be without projected first-round pick Peter Woods and dynamic defensive end T.J. Parker, both of whom opted out of the Pinstripe Bowl. 

That lays the groundwork for the Nittany Lions to lean on their rushing attack, which was the fifth-best in the Big Ten at 177.5 rushing yards per game. However, that rushing attack will look quite different.  

While senior running back Nicholas Singleton is not playing, Kaytron Allen, who set the Penn State all-time rushing record this season, will be active. The Nittany Lions have leaned on Allen all year, and doing it again, even in a limited fashion, would result in good things. Smith noted that backs Corey Smith and Quinton Martin Jr. performed well in pre-bowl practices.  

Penn State also will be without four starting offensive linemen, including two-year starting center Nick Dawkins. Guard Anthony Donkoh is the only starting offensive lineman playing. Thus, leaning on the run game, whether it’s effective or not, will help ease the line into the matchup and prevent obvious passing downs, where Clemson’s front could get pass-rush happy. 

That will help Penn State extend drives and give itself manageable third downs, which will be vital, as the Tigers rank eighth in the FBS in third-down defense percentage, allowing opponents to convert at a rate of 29.2 percent.  

"The run game is still going to be critical to our success," Smith said. "I won't pinpoint a number of touches for the backs, but we're going to have to run the football and establish that run game to have some success."

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Stretch the field with the passing game

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer (17) runs with the ball during the second quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer found success throwing downfield toward the end of the regular season. The redshirt freshman completed a pass of 40+ yards in each of the final four games while throwing just one interception.  

Penn State now faces Clemson’s 116th-ranked passing defense (250.5 passing yards per game) that will be without cornerback Avieon Terrell, a projected first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Nittany Lions must use that to their advantage. 

While Penn State should remain a run-first team, Grunkemeyer and offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki can game-plan off that. The Nittany Lions need to work in play-action passes to keep the Tigers’ defense guessing and continue that downfield passing success.

Pressure Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik

Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik passes against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Two of Penn State’s most important secondary players, safety Zakee Wheatley and cornerback A.J. Harris, aren't playing. Thus, the Nittany Lions’ defensive line must help the secondary by giving Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik less time to throw. Which won't be easy, either. However defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton will be in uniform and could make a bowl-game splash on his way to the NFL.

Clemson’s offensive line has taken some substantial losses this season. Guards Walker Parks and Brayden Jacobs were injured against Louisville in November, and guard Collin Sadler is inactive with a shoulder injury. The Tigers still have two healthy tackles and a healthy center, but there’s been change in the interior. Penn State must take advantage. 

The Tigers allow 1.4 sacks per game, which ranks 31st in the country. But with some weakness in the middle of its offensive line, defensive tackles Alonzo Ford Jr. and Xavier Gilliam must step up and fill in for defensive tackle Zane Durant.

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