Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1542734
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 6 2 7 In doing so, they displayed the quali- ties that characterized their performance throughout the seven games in which Smith served as head coach — toughness, togetherness and a sense of purpose. The Lions were facing a Clemson squad that had been through similar trials, hav- ing started out as a top-five team in the preseason only to tumble out of College Football Playoff contention by early Oc- tober. But while the Tigers looked ragged and listless for much of the afternoon, Penn State found the inspiration it needed to seize control and bring home a victory. "Having another chance to play a game, that's special. You've got to take advan- tage of it," senior receiver Trebor Peña said. "It was a no-brainer for me to play in this game and finish it out the right way with everybody else. "Terry is somebody that you want to play for," Peña added. "He's such a good leader. You can tell why everybody rallies around him. He instills that toughness in us and makes us play for something bigger than ourselves. I really respect him and thank him for everything." Despite missing a combined six starters on its offensive and defensive lines, Penn State went into the game looking to set the tone physically. On offense, redshirt freshman running back Quinton Martin Jr. totaled a career-high 101 yards on 20 carries. Take away the sacks and victory formation kneel-downs, and the Nittany Lions produced 149 rushing yards as a team on 35 carries. The Lions also excelled in the passing game. Peña's 73-yard catch-and-run gave PSU a 15-3 lead with 12:51 to play and was part of a 100-yard day for the transfer. With his 5 catches, Peña shared the receiving spotlight with fellow senior Devonte Ross, who totaled 8 receptions for 84 yards on a team-high 12 targets. Redshirt freshman quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer played his best game of the season, completing 23 of 34 passing at- tempts for 260 yards and a pair of touch- downs. All of it came behind the performance of an offensive line keenly aware of the significance of its best players standing on the sideline. The Nittany Lions were gritty, powerful and relentless. "We used the phrase earlier in the sea- son 'getting callused up,'" Smith said. "As the game went on, they got callused up and got better and better. A game like today, where it's very cold outside and every hit hurts to the core of your body, our guys wore them down, and eventually they succumbed to it." Defensively, the Nittany Lions stifled a Clemson team that had been among the nation's best this season behind veteran quarterback Cade Klubnik. Bothered by the tight coverage and frigid field con- ditions that contributed to 4 dropped passes in the first half, Klubnik completed 22 of 39 attempts for 193 yards. Making matters worse for the Tigers, Penn State shut down their ground attack, allowing only 43 yards on 25 attempts. Relying on the leadership of safeties coach Anthony Poindexter, who stepped in for the Tennessee-bound Jim Knowles as defensive coordinator, Penn State de- livered a vintage performance. "Coach Poindexter did an amazing job getting these guys ready," Smith said. "He limited the pass game and com- pletely shut down the run game. He's a great leader of men. He's a great hu- man being. He's one of the locker room favorites." The end result was a catharsis for a team in need of one. Playing for the sake of competition, Penn State chose tough- ness and togetherness. The outcome — and the process that led to it — was any- thing but disappointing to Smith and the Nittany Lions. ■ Pinstripe Bowl Grades Offense: B+ Andy Kotelnicki's attack had four drives of six plays or fewer in the first two quarters and needed a field goal just before halftime to take a 6-3 lead into the locker room. But in the second half, the offense started to click. The Lions put up 269 yards and 16 points in the final 30 minutes of play. Senior receiver Trebor Peña, who was named the game MVP, caught a 73-yard touchdown pass and finished with 5 catches for 100 yards. On the ground, redshirt freshman running back Quinton Martin Jr. took full advantage of his first 20 carries of the season, totaling 101 yards. Penn State outrushed Clemson by 94 yards and allowed just 2 sacks despite fielding a patchwork offensive line with four new starters. Defense: A- Cade Klubnik did not look like the more experienced quarterback on this day. Penn State badgered him throughout the game, totaling 4 sacks and holding Clemson to 193 passing yards. Despite missing a few starters and having an interim defensive coordinator, the Lions held up quite well for most of the game. Opting to play the entire game, senior defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton had 2 sacks in his final appearance in blue and white. Redshirt freshman safety Vaboue Toure had a team-high 7 tackles and recorded the game-ending sack. Some penalties knock this grade down a bit, but overall, it was a very solid effort. Special Teams: A- Ryan Barker finished his standout redshirt sophomore season by making 3 field goals, hit- ting from 22, 48 and 43 yards. Meanwhile, redshirt senior Gabe Nwosu averaged 45 yards on 3 punts, rarely allowing Clemson to start with good field position. The only blemish on PSU's performance in the kicking game was a Nwosu kickoff that went out of bounds. Coaching: A Terry Smith had his team ready to roll despite a multitude of opt-outs. The offense strug- gled a bit in the first half but found its rhythm as the game went on. The effort on defense was good from start to finish under the direction of interim coordinator Anthony Poindexter. Overall: A Penn State finished its 2025 season with four consecutive victories, including a bowl win. That doesn't change the fact that this was a very disappointing year, but every program wants to head into the offseason on a positive note, and the Lions did that. — Greg Pickel