Ethan Grunkemeyer completed 23 of 34 throws for 262 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns to lead Penn State to a 22-10 victory over Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl on Saturday in snowy New York.
Trebor Pena (five catches, 100 yards) and tight end Andrew Rappleyea caught the late TD passes that ensured the Nittany Lions (7-6) would end the season on a four-game winning streak and avoid their first losing record in a non-COVID year since 2004.
With NFL draft prospects Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton opting out, Quinton Martin got 20 carries and ran for 101 yards as Penn State’s primary running back.
“We had our backs to the wall,” said Penn State interim coach Terry Smith, who took over when James Franklin was fired in October and will have a role on incoming coach Matt Campbell’s staff. “When I started we lost the first three games. We could have very well quit. But they didn’t, they chose another path. These are great lessons for life — just perseverance, keep working, good things can happen from just hard work and determination and banding together.
“I love this group. They’re just a special group of guys. This is the greatest moment of my life.”
Cade Klubnik completed 22 of 39 passes for 193 yards in his final game as the quarterback of Clemson (7-6).
Pena caught a third-down heave from Grunkemeyer over the middle, broke away from two would-be tacklers and sprinted 73 yards for the game’s first touchdown in the fourth quarter. A two-point attempt failed, leaving the score 15-3 with 12:51 to go.
Clemson answered with its longest drive of the day, 10 plays and 65 yards. Adam Randall’s 4-yard rush set up first-and-goal from the 2, and on the next play Randall spun out of a tackle and barely broke the plane with the football for the score.
Facing third down, Grunkemeyer hit Devonte Ross (eight catches, 84 yards) on a crossing pattern for a 35-yard gain to keep Penn State’s drive going. Later, Rappleyea lined up with four offensive linemen, disguised as the left tackle, and went unmarked to the end zone to catch an 11-yard touchdown with less than five minutes left.
Vaboue Toure sacked Klubnik on a must-have fourth down to seal the outcome.
Most of the scoring was contained to the fourth quarter. The teams combined for eight punts and four turnovers on downs.
Ryan Barker’s chip-shot field goal on Penn State’s opening drive stood up as the only score of the first quarter. Clemson’s Nolan Hauser managed to tie the game in the final minute of the half with a 48-yarder.
But the Nittany Lions ran a one-minute drill to perfection and set up Barker for a 48-yarder of his own to make it 6-3 as the first-half clock hit zeroes.
Barker’s 43-yard boot made it 9-3 on the first play of the fourth quarter, and Penn State then forced a three-and-out to quickly regain possession and set up the Pena scoring drive.
