Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1541990
3 4 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 6 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Pinstripe Bowl Preview "We'll field a team that's going to be ready to compete," he said. "We have our work cut out for us to play against Clem- son, but we're going to put a product out there on the field that's representative of Penn State, and we're going to play really hard and play really tough, and we're go- ing to get after it, and then the result will be the result, but the next man up has to do the job." While there likely will be some new faces in the starting lineup, Penn State will see a familiar face on the opposite sideline in Tom Allen, the Tigers' first- year defensive coordinator. Allen had served in that role during the 2024 sea- son at Penn State but left for Clemson shortly after the campaign wrapped up. During the 2025 regular season, Clemson ranked 53rd in the FBS in to- tal defense (353.3 yards per game) and 29th in scoring defense (20.4 points per game). That's been the cause of some frustration within the Tigers' program. "It just has not worked, and we have not come together like we hoped," Swinney said in early November. "That is nobody's fault but mine. "I think Tom has done a great job. I really do. I think he's a winner, and he's a really good football coach." The Penn State team that Allen sees on game day will look very different from the one he helped coach last fall. Because of its expected opt-outs and the ongoing transition to a new coaching staff, PSU figures to be an underdog, but Smith is eager for one more chance to play foot- ball, especially in the unique environ- ment that New York provides. "Obviously, our year hasn't gone the way we thought it would go," Smith said. "We went through a coaching change, and I took over at midseason. Right now, we're on a three-game winning streak, and we're just trying to figure out how to win a fourth game in a row. "It's a great opportunity between two great, historic programs, Clemson Uni- versity and Penn State University. We're super excited, and it's just a tremendous opportunity to try to end this season on a high note." ■ The Tale Of The Tape Clemson Penn State Record 7-5 (4-4 ACC) 6-6 (3-6 Big Ten) Head Coach Dabo Swinney (Alabama, '93) Terry Smith (interim) (Penn State, '92) Coach's Record 187-52 3-3 Coach's Bowl/CFP Record 12-9 — School's Bowl/CFP Record 27-24 33-21-2 Pinstripe Bowl Record — 1-0 Most Recent Bowl 2023 Gator Bowl (W, Kentucky, 38-35) 2025 Orange Bowl (L, Notre Dame, 27-24) Rushing Leader Adam Randall (157 att., 779 yds., 9 TD, 5.0 ypc) Kaytron Allen (210 att., 1,303 yds., 15 TD, 6.2 ypc) Passing Leader Cade Klubnik (2,750 yds., 16 TD, 6 int., 66.6 pct.) Drew Allar* (1,100 yds., 8 TD, 3 int., 64.8 pct.) Receiving Leader Antonio Williams (55 rec., 604 yds., 4 TD) Trebor Peña (44 rec., 452 yds., 1 TD) Tackles Leader Sammy Brown (61 solo, 31 asst., 92 total) Amare Campbell (57 solo, 39 asst., 96 total) Sack Leader Will Heldt (7.5, 46 yds.) Dani Dennis-Sutton (6.5, 35 yds.) TFL Leader Will Heldt (15, 73 yds.) Dani Dennis-Sutton (10, 51 yds.) Interception Leader Ricardo Jones (6, 32 yds.) Zakee Wheatley* (1, 2 yds.), King Mack (1, 1 yd.), Zane Durant* (1, 14 yds.), Elliot Washington II (1, 12 yds.), Alonzo Ford Jr. (1, 3 yds.), Jahmir Joseph (1, 49 yds.) * Will not play in bowl game Dabo Swinney has gone 187-52 and won two national cham- pionships in his 18 seasons as Clemson's head coach. PHOTO COURTESY CLEMSON ATHLETICS Terry Smith will be looking to end his tenure as Penn State's interim head coach with a fourth consecutive victory. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL