lemson football will play Penn State, just as we all predicted. Wait, we’re playing where?!?! The Bronx, New York?
Well, the season didn’t go as fans had hoped, but we will get the match-up that many predicted in the pre-season as a playoff game and get it in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Clemson went through a lot this season with some injuries, players not having the best years that pundits thought they would, but if there’s a team that went through more, it would be Penn State.
This will be a tough preview as there are a lot of moving parts. Clemson will have upwards of 30 players not available (opt-out, injury, portal) and Penn State is not far behind, although that number is not known at this time.
Many have said that bowl games have lost their luster. I was on that train until the last couple of years. I think bowl games are now a glimpse into the future. With so many opt-outs, players declaring for the draft or the portal, fans get to see what is to come.
So I will try my best to give you everything you will need to know about the Tiger’s Bowl Game Opponent, the Penn State Nittany Lions:
Penn State Nittany Lions
School Location: State College, PA
Game Location: Yankee Stadium
Time: Saturday 12/27; Noon, ESPN
2025 Record – 6-6; (3-6 Big Ten Conference)
Wins Against: Nevada, FIU, Villanova, Michigan State, Nebraska, Rutgers
Losses against: Oregon, UCLA, Northwestern, Iowa, Ohio State, Indiana
Head Coach: Terry Smith – Interim (Previous: Penn State DBs Coach/Associate Head Coach)
Coach Terry Smith will lead the Lions in the bowl game match-up against the Tigers. Penn State did hire Matt Campbell, previously the Iowa State head coach after a long search for a new head man, but he will not coach the bowl game.
Offense
Offensive Coordinator: Andy Kotelnicki – 2nd Season
Coach Kotelnicki in his second season with Penn State arrived with a reputation for flexibility and creativity, and that skill set got tested fast when the offense lost its starting quarterback, Drew Allar for the season. Rather than forcing the original plan, Kotelnicki trimmed the menu, leaned into tempo, and built answers around what his available players could execute cleanly. The passing game became more deliberate, the run game more varied, and game plans stayed opponent specific. The season did not look smooth, but it stayed functional, competitive, and organized during a stretch that went sideways, but finished strong.
Penn State has averaged 31.8 points in their twelve game regular season (T-35th) with 177.5 yards rushing per game (45th) and 181.6 yards through the air (110th) for a total of 359.1 yards of offense per game through twelve games (87th)
Here is a look at the projected starters for Penn State (lots of opt outs like our Tigers)from their best guess depth chart from the Penn State 247 site, as well as their 2025 statistics through their twelve games:
| Quarterback | Ethan Grunkemeyer | RS Freshman | #17 | 100-144, 1079 yds. 69.4% 6 TDs, 4 Ints | |
| Running Back | Kaytron Allen | Senior | #13 | 210 att. 1316 yds. 15 TDs | 18 catches, 68 yds. |
| Wide Receiver | Devonte Ross | Senior | #5 | 28 catches, 417 yds. 5 TDs | |
| Wide Receiver | Kyron Hudson | RS Senior | #1 | 23 catches, 288 yds. 2 TDs | |
| Wide Receiver | Trebor Pena (Syracuse) | RS Senior | #8 | 11 att. 79 yds. | 44 catches, 452 yds. TD |
| Tight End | Andrew Rappleyea | RS Sophomore | #87 | 15 catches, 162 yds. 2 TDs | |
| Tight End | Luke Reynolds | Sophomore | #85 | 24 catches, 229 yds | |
| Left Tackle | Eagan Boyer | RS Freshman | #64 | ||
| Left Guard | TJ Shanahan | RS Sophomore | #54 | ||
| Center | Dominic Rulli | RS Junior | #52 | ||
| Right Guard | Anthony Donkoh | RS Sophomore | #68 | ||
| Right Tackle | Garrett Sexton | RS Freshman | #70 |
Defense
Defensive Coordinator: Anthony Poindexter – Interim
Coach Poindexter, a UVA alum, steps in as Penn State’s interim defensive coordinator with familiarity on his side and urgency in the moment. Expect a defense that stays aggressive up front, communicates cleanly on the back end, and avoids overcomplicating the call sheet. Poindexter knows the personnel, trusts the veterans, and should lean on pressure packages that let athletes play fast. The goal in his first game calling the defense is stability, energy, and discipline. If those boxes are checked, Penn State’s defense should look confident, organized, and ready to respond snap to snap.
The Penn State defense has given up 21.4 points through their twelve games (38th). They have given up an average of 150.8 yards on the ground (72nd) and 183.5 yards through the air (21st). The Nittany Lions are giving up a total of 334.3 yards thus far (33rd).
Here is a look at the projected starters for the Nittany Lions on defense along with stats from the their twelve regular season games:
| Defensive End | Dani Dennis-Sutton | Senior | #33 | 38 tackes, 10 TFLs, 6.5 sacks, 3 FF |
| Defensive Tackle | Xavier Gilliam | RS Freshman | #54 | 15 tackles, 2 TFLs, 0.5 sack |
| Defensive Tackle | Alonzo Ford | RS Senior | #50 | 15 tackles, 0.5 TFL, Int |
| Defensive End | Jaylen Harvey | RS Freshman | #44 | 7 tackles, 0.5 TFL |
| MIKE Linebacker | Amare Campbell | Sophomore | #24 | 96 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, 3 sacks, FR |
| WILL Linebacker | Dom DeLuca | RS Senior | #0 | 63 tackles, 6 TFLs, 2 sacks |
| SAM Linebacker | Keon Wylie | RS Junior | #32 | 25 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, sack |
| Safety | King Mack | Junior | #16 | 63 tackles, TFL, 0.5 sack, Int |
| Safety | Dejuan Lane | Sophomore | #10 | 24 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, sack |
| Cornerback | Daryus Dixson | Freshman | #5 | 22 tackles, 2 TFLs, sack, FR |
| Cornerback | Audavion Collins | RS Junior | #2 | 45 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, FR |
| Nickelback | Zion Tracy | Junior | #7 | 27 tackles, 5 TFLs, sack, FF |
Special Teams
Here is a list of the specialists for Penn State along with statistics from the 2025 Season:
| Kicker | Ryan Barker | RS Sophomore | #94 | 15-16; long of 49 yds. |
| Punter | Gabe Nwosu | RS Senior | #99 | 48.1 yd avg. long of 68 yds |
| Punt Returner | Trebor Pena | RS Senior | #8 | 10.1 yd avg. long of 21 yds. |
| Kick Returner | Corey Smith | RS Freshman | #24 | 22.8 yd avg. long of 34 yds. |
Turnovers
Penn State is Plus-3 (+3) (T-47th) in turnover margin on the season, having lost 3 fumbles and having thrown 7 interceptions. They have forced 7 opponent fumbles so far while intercepting 6 opponent passes. Penn State has 10 turnovers to their opponents 13 through 12 games.
Final Word
Two days after Christmas, the Tigers are playing in the Bronx, New York in snow. Not exactly the bowl destination that the Tigers have been used to in recent years, but it’ll do. We get Clemson football in December.
Clemson has a ton of opt outs and injuries. Penn State does too. Let’s see a little glimpse into the future with some names you’re not used to seeing, while watching some of the ones we’ve loved for a few years play their last games in the paw.
Let’s enjoy this one for what it is.
Let’s go. Spot the ball!
Go Tigers!
