Three takeaways from Penn State football’s 22-10 win vs. Clemson in Pinstripe Bowl
Penn State ended its 2025 season on a high note, defeating the Clemson Tigers 22-10 in the Pinstripe Bowl in Yankee Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Both teams combined to have several dozen student-athletes not play, either due to opt-outs or unavailability due to injury.
The Nittany Lions finish the season with a winning record of 7-6. Clemson is also 7-6.
Here are three takeaways from the game.
TE Rappleyea makes his case
The stat line may not have been overly impressive — five catches for 18 yards and a touchdown — but it doesn’t tell the story of just how well tight end Andrew Rappleyea played Saturday. He had a big play negated by an illegal motion penalty when he made a contested catch over a defender and arguably had the best game of any Penn State offensive player.
Rappleyea is both a willing and effective blocker, along with being good at separating in the passing game. There will inevitably be discussions about Iowa State tight end Benjamin Brahmer, who announced he’s entering the transfer portal, coming in to start at Penn State. But Rappleyea more than made his case that he should be the leader of the position group next year.
Of course, new Penn State offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser has used two tight end formations plenty in the past, which could help the situation. Either way, Rappleyea should be a priority for new head coach Matt Campbell when it comes to roster retention.
DE Dennis-Sutton deserves credit
It’s not often that players as good as Penn State defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton play in bowl games that aren’t part of the College Football Playoff, but that just makes his performance Saturday even more commendable.
The defensive end played at a high level throughout, finishing with four tackles, two tackles for loss and two sacks in the game — but the fact that he was out there most of the game is why he deserves so much credit. There isn’t a lot to gain (and there’s plenty to lose) for a player who’s out of eligibility and who has solidified himself as a top-100 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, which was evidenced by the numerous Nittany Lions and Tigers who opted out of the Pinstripe Bowl. But Dennis-Sutton still went out, played a full snap load and played well.
Redshirt freshman RB steps up
Penn State was without its top two runners with Nick Singleton opting out and Kaytron Allen appearing on the availability report as questionable and not taking a snap, but one of its young backs stepped up. Redshirt freshman Quinton Martin Jr. played well for the Nittany Lions, totaling 20 carries and 101 yards in the game and showing he can create in the open field.
Martin has always been a talented player but has not gotten much time because of Singleton and Allen eating up most of the Penn State carries this season. He shined in his first opportunity, showing what he can do and that his 6-foot-1 frame isn’t going to be that much of an issue. It will be worth monitoring if Campbell pushes to keep him on the roster or if Martin heads elsewhere and tries to earn a starting job.
This story was originally published December 27, 2025 at 3:30 PM.
