Smith

Terry Smith’s tenure as the Nittany Lions’ interim coach has been “the greatest seven weeks of my coaching career,” and he hopes it can end with a victory over Clemson in the Dec. 27 Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.

“The opportunity to represent my alma mater and sit at the very top of it, to try to salvage a season that didn’t start off the way we wanted, it’s been a tremendous opportunity,” Smith said during the bowl’s press conference on Tuesday.

“We all know the momentum of a victory into your offseason helps your offseason workouts, your spring ball and how you approach next season.”

Smith has already committed to remaining on new coach Matt Campbell’s staff. As he was under James Franklin, Smith, a former Nittany Lion receiver who has spent the last 12 years on the coaching staff, will serve as associate head coach.

Following Campbell’s first team meeting on Monday, Smith debriefed Campbell on the entire coaching staff and support personnel and said, “Then he’ll start making decisions.”

One has already been made. Tight ends coach Ty Howle is following Franklin to become the Hokies’ offensive coordinator.

Smith praised Howle’s time at Penn State, which started in 2020 and produced tight ends such as Pat Freiermuth, Brenton Strange, Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren.

“He recruited some unbelievable tight ends,” Smith said.

Smith is “not quite sure,” if Howle will remain with the Lions for the bowl game, adding, “We’re working through those dynamics.”

Though he wanted the job, Smith praised the hiring of Campbell, who left Iowa State after 10 years. The two became acquainted 15 years ago when Campbell coached at Toledo and recruited some of Smith’s high school players at Gateway.

“I felt really, really good with the selection,” he said.

He called Campbell’s teams “blue-collar and tough,” and appreciated the transparency with which Pat Kraft kept him in the loop during a difficult search that saw multiple candidates decline interest.

“At this point in my career, I truly can only work for certain types of individuals, and we’re aligned on the core values Penn State represents,” Smith said. “I felt like he was the right leadership at the time, and I wanted to stay a part of it.”

Defensive tackle Zane Durant confirmed Monday night that he’s focused on the NFL Draft and won’t play against Clemson.

“At this point, he’s the only one,” Smith said. “We’re looking forward to putting our best team forward.”

If there are other opt-outs, Smith said, the Lions will use a “next-man up” mentality.

Penn State has only met Clemson once, a 35-10 Tiger shellacking in the 1988 Citrus Bowl. Smith was a redshirt freshman on the team.

“I’m the common denominator,” he said, smiling.

Though the game features two of the country’s biggest disappointments — both opened the season ranked in the Associated Press top 5 — each put on a happy face Tuesday to help hype the bowl.

Clemson (7-5) ended the year on a four-game win streak, capped by beating South Carolina in what the Tigers call their “state championship.”

“We’ve had a great finish,” Tiger coach Dabo Swinney, who has won two national titles (2016 and ’18) at Clemson, said. “One of our goals is to win the closer, and this is the closer.”

Pinstripe Bowl executive director Mark Holtzman called the game “a dream matchup — arguably the best matchup we’ve ever had.”

He predicted a sellout (50,000).

Penn State appeared in the 2014 game, beating Boston College 31-30 in overtime.

The Lions (6-6) will arrive in New York on Dec. 22 and take part in the numerous pre-game activities, including visiting the 9/11 site, the New York Stock Exchange and Broadway.

“I do want to see the Rockettes,” Smith said.

The game, now in its 15th year (the Big Ten has met the ACC 11 times), was the brainchild of late Yankee owner George Steinbrenner, who was an Ohio State graduate and an assistant football coach at both Purdue and Northwestern in the 1950s.

“Every year we have this,” Holtzman said, “I know he’s up there smiling.”