7-6.

From 3-6 to a winning record. Terry Smith pushed the Nittany Lions across the finish line with a 22-10 Pinstripe Bowl win over the Clemson Tigers in Yankee Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Penn State battled through injuries and opt-outs to close 2025 and herald the true beginning of the Matt Campbell era.

Here’s how each position group performed against Clemson.

Quarterbacks: A

Ethan Grunkemeyer had possibly his best performance in blue and white against the Tigers. He ended his day on 23-for-34 passing for 262 yards and two touchdowns. While his accuracy wasn’t on par with past games, he picked it up after a surgical two-minute drill to steal three points at the end of the first half.

Penn State does not win this game without Grunkemeyer at the helm. He was efficient and confident in his throws, and his chemistry with Trebor Peña and Devonte Ross really shined. While he said he didn’t have a timeline for a decision on his future yet, the Pinstripe Bowl is the cherry on top for his case to be Penn State’s QB1 in 2026.

Running Backs: B

Penn State’s first game without Nick Singleton or Kaytron Allen in the backfield saw the rise of Quinton Martin Jr. Martin rushed 20 times for 101 yards, taking full advantage of the running back room’s first opportunity to show its depth.

Tikey Hayes rushed three times for 18 yards, while Corey Smith pounded the rock nine times for 17 yards. Hayes picked up a key block on a Grunkemeyer throw to Koby Howard late in the third quarter.

Despite the group’s solid performances, the Nittany Lions definitely missed Allen’s explosive play ability against the Tigers. While the sample size is too small to solidify the future of the position, Martin definitely stated his case to be Allen and Singleton’s main successor.

Wide Receivers: A

Peña had his signature Penn State moment in his final career game with his 73-yard score at the top of the fourth quarter. His tough run, breaking two tackles, capped off his solid run of games and emergence as WR1 with Grunkemeyer at the helm. His performance won him Pinstripe Bowl MVP honors in his hometown.

Peña is too fast pic.twitter.com/rR0CSMpc26

— Onward State (@OnwardState) December 27, 2025

Ross also had a solid day with eight catches for 84 yards. Had he reached the century mark, it would’ve been Penn State’s first game with two 100-yard receivers since 2017. Nevertheless, both wideouts put on a show on their way out the door.

A receiver who Penn State fans hope isn’t on his way out the door is Howard. He reeled in two passes for 34 yards and was heavily active on social media postgame.

Kyron Hudson exited the game in the first quarter with an undisclosed injury.

Tight Ends: B+

Andrew Rappleyea has officially been unleashed. He was precisely what Penn State was missing at the position all season long. He scored in his third consecutive game and drove the dagger in with his 11-yard score with five minutes left. Rappeleyea solidified himself as a must-have returning player for Matt Campbell.

Luke Reynolds caught two passes for 30 yards. He had a 21-yard catch-and-run on Penn State’s opening series of the second half.

Offensive Line: A-

Given the fact that four starting offensive linemen opted out of the game, leaving Anthony Donkoh by his lonesome, the new-look big boys up front played well. Cooper Cousins, T.J. Shanahan, and Dominic Rulli were the notable additions to Grunkemeyer’s protective front.

They led the way to the Nittany Lions’ 135-yard rushing performance. Clemson generated two sacks and two quarterback hurries, but Grunkemeyer looked calm in the pocket all day. After so much talk from James Franklin about Cousins’ potential, it was a valuable day for Campbell to evaluate the line as a whole.

Front Seven: A

Dani Dennis-Sutton led the way with two sacks in his final career game. Smith applauded his performance extensively postgame, especially due to the fact that Dennis-Sutton could have very easily opted out. Dennis-Sutton was clear that he didn’t want to give up on the team, and it paid off. He created very valuable tape against a very valuable opponent. He also moved up to No. 6 on Penn State’s all-time sack leaders list.

A ton of young defensive studs made their presence known against the Tigers as well. Jaylen Harvey brought down Cade Klubnik in the second quarter, and Joshua Johnson and Keon Wylie received significant reps.

The unit as a whole made Klubnik uncomfortable all day, coaxing him into rushed reads and inaccurate throws. The defensive tone was tenacious all day, and that all starts up front.

Secondary: A

The secondary is where the young bulls really shined. Redshirt freshman Vaboue Toure tied Amare Campbell for the team lead in tackles with seven. He also had a 10-yard sack on Klubnik to generate a turnover-on-downs late in the fourth quarter.

Alongside him was freshman cornerback Jahmir Joseph. Joseph tallied five tackles and one pass breakup. He received his most action since his first career pick-six against Villanova early in the season.

However, the easy star is Daryus Dixson, who already made a name for himself in the secondary prior to the Pinstripe Bowl. He registered three pass breakups against the Tigers, and if not for a pass interference call in the fourth quarter, very well might have been the best player on the field. He is another must-retain for Campbell.

The Nittany Lions came inches close to picking off Klubnik multiple times throughout the game, but it simply never fell. Nevertheless, Penn State played tight and strong and generated one of its best performances on the back end of the season.

Special Teams:

Ryan Barker. Appreciate greatness while you have it, folks.

While the kicking game was perfect, Gabe Nwosu didn’t have his best game. He shanked a kickoff out of bounds, but did get 135 yards on three punts.