Pinstripe Bowl records its first sellout in fifth year

NEW YORK -- The fifth edition of the New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium was its first sellout.

Penn State defeated Boston College, 31-30 in overtime, in front of 49,012 fans in New York on Saturday, breaking last year's attendance record of 47,122 for the contest between Notre Dame and Rutgers.

"This is the most successful New Era Pinstripe Bowl, and that's a tribute to the two sensational universities, great universities," said Yankees president Randy Levine. "Boston College and Penn State -- we're so honored to have their presidents here, we're so honored to have the athletic directors and everybody from those universities."

The matchup between Boston College (7-6) and Penn State (7-6) was the first Pinstripe Bowl meeting between the ACC and the Big Ten, the game's two conference tie-ins.

It was also the first time either of the two teams have played at the new Yankee Stadium, which Penn State coach James Franklin said was in top form Saturday.

"It was a football stadium tonight," Franklin answered when asked what it was like to play in a baseball stadium. "An awesome one, and we loved it."

Penn State tied the game late in regulation with a field goal and won it in overtime on an extra point. The Nittany Lions now lead the all-time series, 20-4, snapping a three-game Boston College winning streak.

"We had an unbelievable experience [at the Pinstripe Bowl]," Franklin said. "I've been a part of a lot of bowls. This was first class. The players had a great experience, so did the coaching staff. New York was an unbelievable host. [We're] very thankful and appreciative of that."