For nearly three quarters, the Pinstripe Bowl unfolded exactly the way Clemson needed it to. The Tigers had turned the afternoon into a grind — cold, physical, and low-scoring — limiting Penn State to field goals and keeping the margin razor-thin. At 6–3 entering the fourth quarter, Clemson was still very much in control of the game’s script.
That script unraveled in a single snap.
Early in the fourth quarter, with Penn State facing third-and-long near midfield, quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer dropped back and delivered a strike to Trebor Pena over the middle. Clemson’s coverage broke just enough for Pena to slip free, and the receiver raced 73 yards for a touchdown that instantly flipped the game’s tone.
What had been a defensive chess match became a scramble.
Instead of trading punts and field position, Clemson suddenly trailed by two possessions. The play didn’t just change the scoreboard — it shifted momentum, urgency, and play-calling on both sidelines. Penn State’s offense loosened up, while Clemson was forced to press in conditions that offered little margin for error.
To Clemson’s credit, the Tigers responded. Adam Randall capped a 10-play drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, trimming the deficit to 15–10 and briefly restoring hope. But the emotional cost of the explosive play lingered. Clemson’s defense, which had been on the field for extended stretches, was asked to respond again — and Penn State answered with another touchdown drive to put the game away.
Before the 73-yard strike, Clemson was one stop from keeping the game within reach and continuing to dictate pace. After it, the Tigers were chasing — and chasing in a game that had never favored explosive comebacks.
In a bowl game defined by narrow margins, one breakdown proved decisive. The throw to Pena didn’t just change the quarter. It ended Clemson’s ability to control the game on its terms.