Updated Dec. 27, 2025, 4:12 p.m. ET
BRONX, N.Y. – Clemson’s long run of postseason success came to a halt Saturday afternoon in the Bronx, where a thin roster and an offense missing one of its most important pieces proved too much to overcome.
Penn State leaned on sustained drives, field position, and a worn-down Clemson defense to pull away in the second half, handing the Tigers a 22–10 loss in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. The defeat snapped Clemson’s four-game winning streak and ended an FBS-record stretch of 14 straight seasons with at least one postseason victory.
Once again, the absence of Antonio Williams loomed large. Clemson’s offense struggled to find rhythm without its top wide receiver, much like it did early in the season when Williams was sidelined. The Tigers finished with just 43 rushing yards on 25 attempts, with Adam Randall accounting for 35 yards on 11 carries. Cade Klubnik threw for 193 yards on 22-of-39 passing but was sacked four times for a loss of 40 yards.
The afternoon got off to a rough start when Clemson attempted a fake punt on its opening possession. The pass fell incomplete, and Penn State quickly turned the short field into a 22-yard Ryan Barker field goal. Points were hard to come by for both sides in the first half, but Barker’s 48-yard kick as time expired gave the Nittany Lions a 6–3 edge at the break.
Penn State controlled the third quarter without scoring, holding the ball for more than 10 minutes while Clemson managed just one possession and 18 total yards. That control finally showed on the scoreboard early in the fourth quarter when Barker connected again, then again moments later when Trebor Pena broke two tackles and raced 73 yards for a touchdown.
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Clemson briefly answered with a 10-play drive capped by a two-yard Randall touchdown, but Penn State responded immediately with another long scoring drive to put the game away.
Defensively, the Tigers simply ran out of answers. Missing six starters along with multiple reserves due to injuries, opt-outs, and the transfer portal, Clemson allowed Penn State to convert 10 of 18 third downs, the most the Tigers surrendered all season despite entering the game ranked eighth nationally in that category.
The loss dropped Clemson to 7–6 on the season and marked the end of another long-standing streak, as the Tigers failed to reach eight wins for the first time since 2011.
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