2025 Pinstripe Bowl

2025 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
15th Pinstripe Bowl
1234Total
Penn State 3301622
Clemson 030710
DateDecember 27, 2025
Season2025
StadiumYankee Stadium
LocationBronx, New York
MVPTrebor Peña (WR, Penn State)[1]
FavoriteClemson by 2.5
RefereeDavid Alvarez (Big 12)
Attendance41,101
United States TV coverage
NetworkABC
ESPN Radio
AnnouncersDave Pasch (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (analyst), and Taylor McGregor (sideline) (ABC)
Jorge Sedano (play-by-play), Trevor Matich (analyst), and Caroline Hendershot (sideline) (ESPN Radio)

The 2025 Pinstripe Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 27, 2025, at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York. The 15th annual Pinstripe Bowl began at approximately 12:00 p.m. EST and aired on ABC.[2][3] The Pinstripe Bowl was one of the 2025–26 bowl games concluding the 2025 FBS football season. The game was sponsored by lawn mower manufacturing company Bad Boy Mowers, and was officially known as the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl.

Penn State of the Big Ten Conference beat Clemson of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) by a score of 22–10.[4]

Teams

The bowl was a matchup of preseason favorites. In the preseason AP poll rankings, Penn State had been ranked second, with 23 first place votes, while Clemson had been ranked fourth, with four first place votes.[5] However, both teams ended the season unranked. Scott Dochterman of The Athletic dubbed the matchup "The Disappointment Bowl",[6] while Bill Connelly of ESPN.com quipped, "at least Dabo Swinney is a Yankees fan,"[7] in reference to the bowl's venue being the home ballpark of the New York Yankees.

The two teams had met only once before this Pinstripe Bowl matchup, a 35–10 Clemson victory in the 1988 Citrus Bowl.[8]

Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State opened their season with three consecutive wins, but then suffered six losses in a row, with three of those losses being to ranked opponents. The Nittany Lions finished with three consecutive wins, and entered the Pinstripe Bowl with a 6–6 record.[9]

Penn State was led in the bowl game by interim head coach Terry Smith; he took over in mid-October, following the dismissal of 12th-year head coach James Franklin.[10][11]

Clemson Tigers

Clemson opened their season with three losses in their first four games; with two losses in their next four games, their record stood at 3–5 in early November. The Tigers won each of their final four games to enter the Pinstripe Bowl with a 7–5 record.[12]

Game summary

2025 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Penn State 3 3 01622
Clemson 0 3 0710

at Yankee StadiumBronx, New York

  • Date: Saturday, December 27, 2025
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 28 °F (−2 °C) • Wind: 8 mph (13 km/h) northeast
  • Game attendance: 41,101
  • Referee: David Alvarez
  • TV announcers (ABC): Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (analyst), and Taylor McGregor (sideline)
  • Box score

Statistics

Statistics PSU CLEM
First downs 20 16
Plays–yards 79–397 67–236
Rushes–yards 41–135 25–43
Passing yards 262 193
Passing: compattint 23–35–0 22–40–0
Time of possession 33:01 26:59
Team Category Player Statistics
Penn State Passing Ethan Grunkemeyer 23/34, 262 yards, 2 TD
Rushing Quinton Martin Jr. 20 carries, 101 yards
Receiving Trebor Pena 5 receptions, 100 yards, 1TD
Clemson Passing Cade Klubnik 22/39, 193 yards
Rushing Adam Randall 11 carries, 35 yards, 1TD
Receiving T. J. Moore 6 receptions, 83 yards

References

  1. ^ Ward, Collin (December 27, 2025). "Penn State Football Wide Receiver Trebor Peña Wins Pinstripe Bowl Most Valuable Player". onwardstate.com. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  2. ^ "2025-26 College Football Playoff schedule, dates, TV channel, sites". NCAA.com. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  3. ^ "College Football Bowl Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  4. ^ Barfield, Griffin (December 27, 2025). "Clemson Tigers Can't Brave Cold, Lose to Penn State in Pinstripe Bowl". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
  5. ^ "Texas, Penn State, Ohio State lead preseason AP Top 25 college football rankings | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved 2025-12-13.
  6. ^ "Ranking the top 10 non-CFP bowls: Conference champs, iconic brands and a Heisman finalist". NYTimes.com. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  7. ^ "College football bowls 2025: Storylines to watch for every game". ESPN.com. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  8. ^ "Penn State vs. Clemson football series history games list". winsipedia.com. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
  9. ^ "Penn State Nittany Lions". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
  10. ^ "Penn State fires head coach James Franklin after 12 seasons". ESPN. October 12, 2025. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
  11. ^ Meyer, Craig (October 12, 2025). "Who is Penn State football interim head coach Terry Smith?". USA Today. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
  12. ^ "Clemson Tigers". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 28, 2025.