Penn State and Clemson will meet for the second time ever on Saturday in the Pinstripe Bowl. The Tigers hold the series record with a 1-0 advantage after a dominant victory in the 1988 Citrus Bowl.
The teams met on New Year’s Day in 1988, marking the first and only meeting. Clemson came out victorious, 35-10, in a dominant showing in Orlando, Florida.
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Penn State was led by quarterback Matt Knizner, who went 13-of-22 for 158 yards and one touchdown. He also threw two interceptions, as well.
Leroy Thompson was the team’s leading rusher, taking six carries for 55 yards. Receiving-wise, Michael Timpson caught four of Knizner’s 13 completions for 81 yards. The Nittany Lions were without key offensive weapon Blair Thomas. The rushing and receiving threat missed the game due to a knee sprain. Thomas was the leading rusher on the team during the 1987 season with 1414 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 128.5 yards per game.
Without Thomas, the Nittany Lions‘ rushing attack took a significant drop, with the team running under Thomas’s average mark, only earning 111 yards.
On Clemson’s side, it was Rodney Williams behind the center. Williams earned the Citrus Bowl MVP, completing 15-of-24 passes for 214 yards. The Tigers had a balanced attack, running for 285 yards, as well.
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Terry Allen was the lead back, running 11 times for 105 yards and a touchdown. The Tigers scored all five of their touchdowns on the run game.
With both teams missing a multitude of their players, and Penn State once again missing at least one of its lead rushers, the 2025 edition of this series should be considerably closer.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Series history: Penn State, Clemson to meet for second time
