NEW YORK, NY — Cheers and confetti filled the Yankee Stadium playing surface as Penn State finished the season with a 22-10 win over Clemson in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl Saturday afternoon.
It marked the program’s first win against the Tigers and provided the perfect send-off for the James Franklin era, which started with a Pinstripe Bowl win in 2014.
SPOTTING THE BALL
From the beginning of the Pinstripe Bowl, process interim Penn State head coach Terry Smith was adamant he just wanted guys who wanted to play the game and PSU did just that. With a multitude of opt outs, Penn State showed up and showed out with who it had.
Quinton Martin rushed for 101 yards on 20 carries behind an offensive line that was down four starters.
Ethan Grunkemeyer played a solid game at quarterback, turning in a 262 yard and two touchdown performance, aided by Pinstripe Bowl MVP Trebor Pena hitting the century mark, including a 73-yard touchdown reception.
Defensively, DeJuan Lane stepped up in place of Zakee Wheatley and Daryus Dixson played well throughout the game at corner.
Smith rejuvenated a squad that plenty of people felt had lost its love of the game and it was rewarded with a winning season and a bowl win.
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While others on the defensive line opted out, Dani Dennis-Sutton not only played, but was an integral factor in the defense’s strong performance.
Dennis-Sutton had two of the four Penn State sacks on the day and epitomized Smith’s desire to be aggressive.
The most important sack came on 4th-and-11 for Clemson in the latter stages of the fourth quarter and the Tigers down 12. Penn State rushed seven on the play setting up Vaboe Toure to take down Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik and seal the win for Penn State.
THE PRICE IS RIGHT
It was Ryan Barker’s world in the first half as he hit two field goals, a 22-yarder and 48-yarder in each of the first two quarters. Barker would then hit a 43-yarder to get the fourth quarter started.
Barker has been a steady leg for the Nittany Lions, finishing the season 15-of-16 kicking field goals and hadn’t missed one since the FIU game Week 2.
