Dani Dennis-Sutton Delivers in the Bronx as Penn State Caps Season with Pinstripe Bowl Win
In a game where more than 30 Penn State players opted out-including 11 starters-the Nittany Lions still found a way to close out their season with a win. And at the heart of it all was junior defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton, who didn’t just show up-he took over.
Penn State’s 22-10 victory over Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium wasn’t about flash. It was about grit.
It was about the guys who stayed. And no one embodied that more than Dennis-Sutton, who led the charge with four tackles, two sacks, and a relentless presence in the backfield that kept Clemson’s offense off balance all afternoon.
This wasn’t just another game for Dennis-Sutton. A month before kickoff, he made a promise to interim head coach Terry Smith: he would play, and he would make it count.
“He said, ‘Coach, I’m going to play in this game and I’m going to be the MVP,’” Smith recalled after the game.
While wide receiver Trebor Pena officially took home MVP honors with five catches for 100 yards and the game-winning touchdown, Smith made it clear who his personal MVP was.
“I know Trebor got the MVP, but Dani is my MVP because this guy didn’t have to play today,” Smith said. “Guys of his caliber, a lot of them walk away and chase the next journey-and that’s OK. But he chose to come back, and what an outstanding performance.”
Dennis-Sutton’s decision to play wasn’t just symbolic-it was impactful. His two sacks moved him into sixth place on Penn State’s all-time sack list with 23.5, passing Nittany Lion greats Matt Millen and Abdul Carter.
One of those sacks came in the game’s closing moments, as Clemson tried to mount a last-ditch comeback. Instead, Dennis-Sutton slammed the door shut.
This was a win that gave Penn State a 7-6 finish to a challenging season, and it came in the kind of cold, gritty setting that demands toughness. Yankee Stadium in late December, snow in the forecast, and a roster full of backups and underclassmen stepping into the spotlight.
But Dennis-Sutton never blinked.
“We get into a bowl game, I’m playing,” he said postgame. “I made a dedication to this program, Coach T, Coach (James) Franklin, all these guys, that I’m going to play through this whole season.
This program gave me a million opportunities, so playing in this game-this is nothing, man. I love football, I love this program.
It was sort of a no-brainer for me.”
And that’s the kind of leadership you can’t coach. In an era where bowl games often become footnotes and opt-outs dominate headlines, Dennis-Sutton’s decision to suit up-and dominate-spoke volumes.
“I don’t really comprehend not playing in the game,” he added. “It’s an opportunity for me to go out there for my boys one last time. And it was perfect.”
Perfect might be the right word. Not for the season as a whole-2025 brought its share of disappointment for Penn State-but for the way it ended.
A win over a name-brand opponent. A showcase for the next wave of talent.
And a reminder that sometimes, showing up is half the battle. The other half?
Bringing the heat-just like Dennis-Sutton did.
In the cold of the Bronx, with the season winding down and the roster thinned out, Penn State found its closer. And he wore No. 33.