Penn State (6-6) vs Clemson (7-5)
Pinstripe Bowl
Dec. 27, 2025, 12 p.m.
Yankee Stadium, N.Y.
UNIVERSITY PARK — The Penn State Nittany Lions football team will complete what has been by far its most eventful season in memory in the 2025 Pinstripe Bowl against ACC rival Clemson on Dec. 27 at Yankee Stadium in New York.
The teams will meet each other after not living up to expectations in the 2025 season, but they will both enter the game on winning streaks and with an eye toward coming back in 2026.
The bowl game, for both teams, will be the first step in that process.
The bowl game landscape has drastically changed, especially in the last two years with the introduction of the 12-game NCAA Championship Playoffs.
Bowl games like the Pinstripe Bowl have lost some of their luster, but teams nevertheless still must win at least six games to qualify.
And in the cases of Clemson and Penn State, making it into the game was a success, and winning it would be an uplifting finale to the season.
Clemson will come into Yankee Stadium at 7-5 and on a four-game winning streak.
After the Tigers’ 46-45 loss to Duke at home on Nov. 1, they were 3-5 for the season and scrambling to get things back together.
Then came four wins against Florida State, Louisville, Furman and South Carolina, (28-14, at South Carolina), that put a positive cap on the season and sent the team into the bowl game against Penn State.
Against South Carolina, Clemson broke a 14-14 tie late in the second quarter to take a 17-14 lead into the locker room.
Then, the Tiger defense took over and shut out SC the rest of the game, while another field goal and a fourth-quarter interception-return touchdown sealed the win.
Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik completed 24-of-39 passes for 268 yards, and Adam Radall led the running game with 107 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown.
Clemson gained 415 yards on the day, but it was the Tiger defense — and that pick-6 — that took the highest honors.
For the season, Klubnik completed 66% of his passes for 2,750 yards and 16 touchdowns in 11 games, for an average of 250 yards per game.
Randall was the leading rusher with 800 yards and 9 touchdowns, but there were three other runners with over 100 yards led by Gideon Davidson with 249.
Clemson also had 10 receivers who went over 100 yards led by Antonio Williams with 604 and 4 touchdowns and TJ Moore with 754 and 4 touchdowns.
On defense, the Tigers allowed 20 points per game on an average of 102 yards rushing and 250 yards passing.
They recovered 8 fumbles, intercepted 9 passes and recorded 33 sacks for 189 yards in losses. Linebacker Sammy Brown was the leader in tackles with 92 that included 12 for loss and 5 sacks.
Clemson may have personnel problems for this game, however.
It is reported that as many as 27 players will be unavailable because of opt-outs for the NFL draft, transfer portal players or injuries.
Opt-outs for the NFL draft include cornerback Avieon Terrell, DT Peter Woods, DE TJ Parker, DT DeMonte Capehart and TE Ian Schieffelin.
Wide receivers Antonio Williams and Bryant Wescoe are out with injuries along with OL Walker Parks and Collin Sadler.
Five players are entering the portal: safety Khalil Barnes, RB Keith Adams, LBs Jamal Anderson and Dee Crayton.
One positive note for the Tigers: quarterback Klubnik will be on the field for Clemson.
Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney said about his opt-outs, “That’s a big long list. But guess what? Nobody cares. It’s next man up.”
For Penn State, interim head coach Terry Smith will be on the sideline for the game, while new Head Coach Matt Campbell will no doubt be watching his future players very closely.
It would be redundant to rehash all the ups and downs of the PSU season, but the important stat for this bowl game is that the Lions came back from a disastrous six-game losing streak to win their final three games and qualify for the postseason.
The Lions, 3-6 after the last-minute, 27-24 loss to No. 1 Indiana, somehow gutted out wins over Big Ten foes Michigan State, Nebraska, and Rutgers, two of them away, and finished at 6-6.
It was a comeback that even new Head Coach Campbell lauded.
“I always said the greatest climb in life is the climb back,” he said at his introductory press conference. “To watch these young men be on a three-game winning streak here at the end of this football season as so much adversity has hit them, it’s been inspiring.
“They get this unbelievable opportunity to go win four in a row at the end of the season for these great seniors, for themselves, and for the future of our program. Man, to give us unbelievable momentum in 2026.”
For the bowl game, Penn State will also have opt-outs and transfer portal players.
As of Dec. 18, four starters will not be available for the game: DT Zane Durant, OL Vega Loane, RB Nick Singleton (Penn State’s all-time touchdown leader), safety Zakee Wheatley, and CB Elliot Washington II.
It is also reported that freshman DE Chaz Coleman will be entering the portal.
There will be big turnovers in the Penn State coaching staff for next season as well, but interim head coach Terry Smith will be leading the team, and OC Andy Kotelnicki, OL coach Phil Trautwein, WR coach Marques Hagens will be coaching in the game.
Anthony Poindexter will replace DC Jim Knowles, who has already left for a position at Tennessee.
Penn State was last at the Pinstripe Bowl in James Franklins’ first year and rallied to take a 31-30 overtime victory over Boston College.
Christian Hackenberg was named the MVP for throwing for 371 yards, including the game-winner to Kyle Carter in overtime.
PSU kicker Sam Ficken tied the game at 24-24 with 20 seconds left to play and then won it in overtime with the extra point.
BC scored first in OT, but its kicker missed the extra point, opening the door for the Lions.
Considering the end of the season scores, along with so many defensive opt-outs for these teams, it would not be surprising to see another 60+ point game on Saturday. Maybe even more.
Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.
