What They Said After Penn State's Win Over Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl

Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith said he's ready to "pass the torch" to Matt Campbell after the Nittany Lions defeated Clemson 22-10 in the Pinstripe Bowl. Smith led the Nittany Lions to their fourth straight win, highlighted by quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer's career-high 262 yards passing and defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton's career-ending performance.

Penn State (7-6) finished with four straight wins to avoid its first full-season losing record since 2024. After the game, Smith discussed the performance and what's next. Meanwhile, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney lamented a fourth quarter in which two defensive backs ran into each other, setting up Trebor Pena's 73-yard touchdown catch.

Here's what Smith and Swinney said about the Pinstripe Bowl.

Penn State interim coach Terry Smith

Look at what Penn State and a bowl game win means for interim head coach Terry Smith 🥹 pic.twitter.com/35zdhXucNY
— ESPN (@espn) December 27, 2025

On the game: It was a tremendous effort, team effort, special teams, offense, defense, all played major factors in it. Just some highlights from the game: Trebor Peña, 73-yard touchdown reception was a career long for him. He had five receptions for 100 yards, which was big for us.

[Running back] Quinton Martin, 101 yards, his first career 100-yard game. We really leaned on him in the second half, and he answered the call. He was downhill running all night, and he was big-time for us.

Dani Dennis-Sutton had two sacks. He's holding the trophy there. Dani told me after the Rutgers game, he said, 'Coach, I'm going to play in this game, and I'm going to be the MVP in it.' I know Trebor [Pena] got the MVP, but Dani is my MVP because this guy didn't have to play today. Guys of his caliber and magnitude, a lot of them walk away and just chase the next journey, and that's okay. There's nothing negative in that statement. But he chose to come back, and what an outstanding
performance.

On how being a head coach changed his perspective: I thought it was a big job when I was an assistant, then I got in this seat and I realize this is an even bigger job. here's just decisions everywhere. It's, can our guys wear black visors, like just any decision. The food, like what are we going to eat tonight, what's the meal on the bus tonight? Things like that that nobody cares about, but they're a question that has to be answered because we have 11 busses going back and we have to take care of everyone.

It's just a big job. Me personally, it's very rewarding that I know and understand that I can handle this seat. It was a great ride. I'm ready for the next chapter. I'm ready to pass the torch on to Coach [Matt] Campbell. He's an amazing individual and leader and Penn State is in great hands, and
I'm ready to help him achieve greatness.

On quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer: When you're coaching that's the greatest challenge is to know what you're getting from every guy and what to expect. Ethan Grunkemeyer, every game he got better. This was his best game. Again, we talked about the Rutgers two-minute situation. We had a two-minute situation today. He was lights out. He delivered time and time again, critical
3rd down throws. Down the stretch when we needed drives and we needed plays, we knew this was the kind of game in the fourth quarter we were going to need to score every possession, and he delivered.

On running back Quinton Martin Jr.: Quinton is an extremely talented young man. He's a tall, lean guy and a slasher. Today's game required downhill running. He displayed that, displayed tough running. He showed a side that he could be a slasher and a physical back all in one game. I'm super proud of him. We didn't have the two running backs that have run for all the yards we've had, and he stepped right in and we didn't miss a beat.

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Quinton Martin is tackled by Clemson Tigers linebacker Sammy Brown. — Penn State Nittany Lions running back Quinton Martin (25) is tackled by Clemson Tigers linebacker Sammy Brown (47) during the second half of the 2025 Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney

Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney talks with Penn State Nittany Lions interim head coach Terry Smith. — Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney, left, talks with Penn State Nittany Lions interim head coach Terry Smith before the 2025 Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

On the game: We just did not execute and get off to the start that we needed to have, so incredibly disappointing with the result. Big picture of the game, again, offensively there was drops, took a couple sacks we shouldn't have taken, but for whatever reason couldn't hang on to the ball.

But hey, it's 6-3 in the fourth quarter and you got every opportunity. Kind of an ugly game, but got every opportunity to go win the game and defensively just really poor. We played really good the
first 29 minutes of the game, and from one minute in the first half through the end of the game, really poor.

Just poor critical awareness from some situational stuff. One minute to go and they've got no timeouts and we're just giving up the outside throw. I mean, just giving it up. No timeouts. Just poor
awareness of what we need to do in that situation and they get a field goal. That's a critical field goal in that moment. So that was a really disappointing thing. They had 269 yards in the second half, so didn't deserve to win the game. The critical stops, we didn't get them. It's 6-3, it's 3rd-and-9 and it's a 73-yard touchdown, like Keystone Cops out there just [two defensive backs] banging into each other, knocking each other off. It was hard to watch.

On the Nittany Lions: Regardless of this result tonight, I'm really proud of this team's fight and their heart, their will to get up and keep competing. I'd say the same thing about Penn State. We were both 7-6, and they had some heartbreakers this year, too. They're not that far away. They were a
few plays, and then obviously they let the coach go and all that type of stuff, quarterback gets hurt.

On what's next: Again, the season is over. That's a part of our story. That one is done. Now it's about resetting. But again, I'll say this: I'm really proud of this group for their fight, for their effort. They could have laid down. They didn't do that. They never quit. They kept battling all the way to the end today.

On the resetting process: It's really more about just big picture of our issues from the season. I know what's real. I know what's not. I don't read what everybody else writes. I know what's real. I have a good perspective when it comes to things that are in our control and what we've got to do
better. We've got great people. I love all the people on my staff.

But you evaluate everything. That's just a part of our business, and it's a part of the end of a season is you step back and. I don't make emotional decisions, but first and foremost, it starts with what
happened and how do we it. Is it personnel, is it scheme, is it bad calls? Whatever, there's a lot of things you evaluate as a coach.

Again, I know we've got seven wins, but we're a lot closer than people think. That's one of them things, boy, if you say that you get torn up on social media, people rip you I'm sure. But that's the
reality. I know what it is, and I know how close we are. It's one more catch. It's one more good throw. It's a better call. It's one stop. Next thing you know, you win a couple of those games that we lost early, and now you've got confidence and momentum and all those things matter. We just never got that.

It's never as good as you think, it's never as bad as you think. I've done this a long time, and this is the second worst season we've had in 17 years. There will be something good come from it just like the last one we had in 2010. We had a lot of great things come from it. We'll have a lot of great come from this one, as well.

What happens next for Penn State? Stay on top of all the Nittany Lions news by subscribing to the Penn State on SI Daily Digest. The newsletter is your free daily window into Penn State sports.

Penn State interim coach Terry Smith

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney

More Penn State Football