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Paterno to coach in 500th game in Alamo Bowl

Dec 29, 2007 - 11:28 AM Penn St (8-4) vs. Texas A&M (7-5) 8:00 pm EST Alamo Bowl December 29

SAN ANTONIO (Ticker) -- Ageless Joe Paterno will coach in his 500th game when Penn State faces Texas A&M in the Alamo Bowl on Saturday.

One month after Paterno was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, the Nittany Lions will be making their 34th bowl appearance under the 80-year-old Paterno, who is the all-time leader in bowl wins (22-10-1).

Penn State (8-4) is facing Texas A&M in the Alamo Bowl for the second time. In the 1999 Alamo Bowl, the Nittany Lions blanked the Aggies, 24-0.

"We have a good football team and I think we are going to be pretty competitive with Texas A&M," Paterno said. "I did see them against Texas, and they looked like a good football team. It's going to be a challenge but its something we are excited about."

Texas A&M is making its third trip to the Alamo Bowl, beating Michigan, 22-20, in its inaugural appearance in 1995.

The Aggies (7-5) closed an up and down regular season with a 38-30 victory over Texas. Just hours after the game, Dennis Franchione resigned as coach.

Defensive coordinator Gary Darnell with serve as the Aggies' interim coach against the Nittany Lions and is looking forward to facing a coaching legend.

"This guy (Paterno) is going for his 500th game and I'm just trying to win one," Darnell said. "What Coach Paterno and Penn State has done and what they stand for and the integrity of the game .. it's an honor to play in a game like this."

Penn State tied for fifth in the Big Ten Conference with Iowa, closing the regular season with a disappointing 35-31 loss to Michigan State in which it squandered a 17-point lead in the second half.

The defeat left Paterno with 371 career wins - two behind Florida State's Bobby Bowden for the most in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Penn State senior linebacker Dan Connor, who captured the Bednarik Award as the nation's top defensive player, will make his final appearance for the Nittany Lions.

Connor ranks seventh in the nation in tackles, averaging 11.3 per game, and became Penn State's all-time leader during the season.

Connor and company will try to contain Texas A&M quarterback Stephen McGee, who is dual threat, passing for 2,147 yards and rushing for another 858.