Five reasons for optimism for Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl

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Amidst a very hectic past couple of weeks, Penn State will be playing in the Pinstripe Bowl on Saturday. This will be the first look at the future of what this team could look like despite the fact new head coach Matt Campbell will not be at the helm for the Nittany Lions. Going against a Clemson squad in a starkly similar situation, this will be a good test for a program looking to take some positives away from a lost season. Here are five reasons Penn State should be optimistic about their chances against a weakened Clemson squad.

Opportunities for younger players

Throughout the season, the key to Penn State’s strong finish has not just been finding their identity on both sides of the ball, but the ability of younger players stepping into key roles. With Drew Allar sidelined with an injury, redshirt freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer steadied the ship with efficient, composed play at the position. Also, guys like Andrew Rappleyea and Koby Howard made several key plays in the passing game. On the defensive side of the ball, Alex Tatsch got significant snaps at linebacker late in the year. For a program firmly in transition mode, it is paramount that several young guys can prove themselves in this bowl game.

Clemson’s defensive opt-outs

While both sides will have to deal with several key opt-outs, Clemson’s losses could prove to be more significant. Both TJ Parker and Peter Woods are declaring for the draft, as well as corner Avieon Terrell. All three accounted for 15.5 of Clemson’s 33 sacks this season, leaving many to wonder where the defensive production will come in this game. Penn State will look to take advantage of these losses and exploit the huge voids left in Clemson’s D-line.

Defensive front could end season on high note

As of today, only defensive tackle Zane Durant, safety Zakee Wheatley, and edge rusher Chaz Coleman have opted out on the defensive side of the ball. That still leaves guys like Dani Dennis-Sutton, Dominic Deluca, and Amare Campbell in the mix for a Penn State defense that found its footing late in the season. While the defense only had 28 sacks this season, Dennis-Sutton had 6.5 of them, while Amare Campbell proved to be an incredible addition through the transfer portal, leading the team in tackles. This front could cause many problems for Clemson QB Cade Klubnik, who severely underwhelmed this season.

Terry Smith’s last game as head coach

This one is mainly based on the emotional factor Smith will bring in his final game leading the Nittany Lions. For what he ha brought to this program during a season of turmoil, he deserves to go out on a high note. The players will feel they owe it to Smith and will look to deliver a spirited performance. While Smith will stay on the staff, the fact that the players were campaigning for him to be the next head coach goes to show that he has been the true heartbeat of this program’s end to the season.

Kaytron Allen‘s last hurrah

At least one half of Penn State’s most dynamic running back duo of all time could play in this bowl game. While fellow backfield partner Nick Singleton has officially opted out, Kaytron Allen is still with the team, practicing on a day-to-day basis. Penn State will surely hope that the all-time school rushing leader will suit up for this game against a pretty poor Clemson run defense. After all, after a trying season, Penn State’s most prolific running back ever deserves to go out with a bang.

This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Five reasons for optimism for Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl

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