Penn State finally found separation in the fourth quarter, scoring 16 points over the final 15 minutes to pull away from Clemson for a 22–10 win in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl on Friday afternoon at Yankee Stadium
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What had been a field-position battle through three quarters turned decisively when Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer connected with Trebor Pena on a 73-yard touchdown strike early in the fourth quarter. The play flipped the game’s tone and ignited a late surge that Clemson never fully countered.
The Nittany Lions led just 6–3 entering the final period after trading field goals in a cold, windy Bronx afternoon. Ryan Barker opened the scoring with a 22-yard field goal in the first quarter, while Clemson answered late in the second with a 48-yard kick from Nolan Hauser. Barker added a 48-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to give Penn State a 6–3 edge at the break.
Penn State stretched the margin early in the fourth when Barker drilled his third field goal of the day, a 43-yarder, to make it 9–3. Two plays later, Grunkemeyer hit Pena behind the Clemson secondary, and Pena raced untouched for the 73-yard score. A failed two-point conversion kept it a two-score game, but the momentum had shifted.
Clemson briefly answered. Adam Randall capped a 10-play, 65-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to pull the Tigers within 15–10 midway through the quarter. That was as close as Clemson would get.
Grunkemeyer sealed it with his second touchdown pass of the quarter, finding Andrew Rappleyea for an 11-yard score with 4:56 left. Barker’s extra point pushed the lead to 22–10 and effectively ended Clemson’s comeback hopes.
Penn State finished with 343 total yards and converted 11 of 19 third-down attempts, consistently extending drives when needed. Grunkemeyer threw for 262 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, while Pena led all receivers with 100 yards on five catches.
Clemson managed 236 total yards and was held without a passing touchdown. Cade Klubnik threw for 193 yards but was sacked four times as Penn State’s defensive front controlled the line of scrimmage in key moments.
Played in 28-degree temperatures before a crowd of 41,101, the game was the first bowl contest ever held at Yankee Stadium featuring Clemson. For Penn State, the late surge provided a strong finish to a season that had been defined by narrow margins.