Penn State secured a 22-10 victory over Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl held at Yankee Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The win was highlighted by Ethan Grunkemeyer, who achieved a career-high 262 passing yards and threw two touchdown passes, including a remarkable 73-yard connection to Trebor Pena early in the fourth quarter.
Both teams faced challenging weather conditions, with temperatures at kickoff reaching 28 degrees and a wind chill making it feel like 19 degrees. The remnants of a recent snowstorm were evident, with snow piled in the corners of the field. Grunkemeyer, starting in place of the injured Drew Allar, completed 23 of 34 passes, marking personal bests in both completions and attempts.
“Every game he got better,” said Terry Smith, the interim head coach of Penn State. “This was his best game.” Grunkemeyer”s standout play came when he connected with Pena, who caught the ball at the Penn State 44-yard line, evaded Clemson safety Ricardo Jones, and sprinted down the left sideline for a touchdown that extended the lead to 15-3 with 12:51 remaining in the game.
“It was man coverage, and I knew he had a seam,” Grunkemeyer explained. “When I saw him break in front of that defender, I knew I had to put it right on him. He ran a great route.” Additionally, Grunkemeyer connected with Devonte Ross for a 35-yard gain that set up an 11-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Rappleyea with 4:56 left in the game, finalizing the score at 22-10. Pena finished the game with five receptions for 100 yards and earned the game”s MVP honors.
Before his touchdown passes, Grunkemeyer led the Nittany Lions to field goal opportunities where Ryan Barker successfully converted three times, scoring from 22, 48, and 43 yards. With this victory, Penn State concluded its season with a record of 7-6, winning its final four games under Smith, who stepped in as head coach after a loss to Northwestern in October. He will be succeeded by Matt Campbell.
On the Clemson side, Cade Klubnik completed 22 of 39 passes for 193 yards in his final college game but faced pressure, getting sacked four times and having eight of his passes broken up by the Penn State defense.
The Pinstripe Bowl also featured other notable games, including BYU overcoming a deficit to defeat Georgia Tech, East Carolina edging out Pittsburgh, and Army dominating Connecticut in their respective bowl matchups.
Overall, the Pinstripe Bowl showcased impressive individual performances and a strong finish for Penn State under challenging conditions.
