1988 Florida Citrus Bowl

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox NCAA football yearly game

| game_name = Florida Citrus Bowl

|title_sponsor=Florida Citrus Growers Association

| subheader =

| date_game_played = January 1

| year_game_played = 1988

| football_season = 1987

| stadium = Florida Citrus Bowl

| city = Orlando, Florida

| visitor_school = Clemson Tigers

| visitor_name_short = Clemson

| visitor_nickname = Tigers

| visitor_record = 9–2

| visitor_coach = Danny Ford

| visitor_conference =ACC

| visitor_rank_AP = 14

| visitor_rank_coaches = 12

| visitor_1q = 7

| visitor_2q = 7

| visitor_3q = 7

| visitor_4q = 14

| home_school = Pennsylvania State University

| home_name_short = Penn State

| home_nickname = Nittany Lions

| home_record = 8–3

| home_coach = Joe Paterno

| home_conference =Independent

| home_rank_AP = 20

| home_rank_coaches = 19

| home_1q = 7

| home_2q = 0

| home_3q = 3

| home_4q = 0

| MVP = Rodney Williams, QB, Clemson

| referee = Paul Schmitt (SICOA)

| odds =

| attendance = 53,152

| us_network = ABC

| us_announcers = Gary Bender and Lynn Swann

| game_link = Citrus Bowl

}}

The 1988 Florida Citrus Bowl was held on January 1, 1988 at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The #14 Clemson Tigers defeated the #20 Penn State Nittany Lions by a score of 35–10.{{Cite news |agency=Associated Press |date=1988-01-02 |title=Florida Citrus Bowl; Penn State Routed |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/02/sports/florida-citrus-bowl-penn-state-routed.html |access-date=2022-04-22 |issn=0362-4331}}

The first quarter saw both teams score: first the Tigers on a 7-yard rush and then Penn State on a 39-yard pass. The second quarter saw only a Clemson touchdown on a 6-yard rush, and the halftime score was 14–7. Penn State converted a 27-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 4, but then Clemson proceeded to score 21 unanswered points. The Tigers scored on a 1-yard touchdown rush to end the third quarter 21–10, and then scored on two more rushes, from 25 and 4 yards out. Clemson won the game by a score of 35–10.{{Cite web |date=1988-01-02 |title=THE BOWL GAMES : Florida Citrus Bowl : Clemson Has Too Much for Penn State, 35-10 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-01-02-sp-34229-story.html |access-date=2022-04-22 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/pensacola-news-journal-clemson-destroys/140072550/|work=Pensacola News Journal|title=Clemson destroys Penn State, 35–10|date=January 2, 1988|accessdate=February 1, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}