GAME NOTES: Recent College Football Hall of Fame inductee Joe Paterno will lead his Penn State Nittany Lions against the Texas A&M Aggies in the 15th Valero Alamo Bowl this Saturday at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Paterno will be coaching in his 500th matchup for the Nittany Lions. This season started with much promise for Penn State, as the squad reeled off three consecutive wins. However, the quick start was instantly diminished with back-to-back road losses to Michigan (14-9) and Illinois (27-20). With a promising season suddenly in jeopardy, the Lions roared past Iowa, Wisconsin and Indiana, pushing their record to 6-2. Penn State closed out its season with back-to-back wins over Purdue and Temple sandwiched in between setbacks to Ohio State and Michigan State. The Lions have a rich history in postseason play. In fact, Penn State has 25 postseason victories, which is third most in the nation. PSU has also had success against the Big 12 over the years, posting a 21-13 mark against teams from that conference, along with a 6-2 ledger against Big 12 schools in bowl matchups. As for the Aggies, they will have to rely on defensive coordinator Gary Darnell, who will be the interim coach in this matchup before stepping aside for Mike Sherman, who will leave the NFL to return to the college ranks. Darnell landed the job when former Aggies head man Dennis Franchione stepped down after a rocky five-year tenure at the helm. However, before leaving, coach Fran led the Aggies to a 7-5 mark on the season. Texas A&M began the year with five wins in its first six games, with the lone setback coming on the road against Miami-Florida. However, after the fast start the Aggies lost their steam, losing four of their next five, including three straight against Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. Fortunately for the Aggie faithful, their beloved team was able to grab a 38-30 victory over rival Texas to close out the season and secure a spot in its third Alamo Bowl. This will be the fourth meeting between the Nittany Lions and the Aggies on the gridiron. PSU currently holds a slim 2-1 edge, and that includes a 24-0 victory over the Aggies in the 1999 Alamo Bowl.

The Nittany Lions depend on the success of their ground game, which averaged 187.4 ypg on the year. Austin Scott began the season as the main tailback for PSU, but off-the-field issues left his career as a Lion uncertain, along with the running back position. However, Paterno inserted Rodney Kinlaw into the lineup and the team didn't miss a beat, as the running back rumbled for 1,186 yards and 10 touchdowns behind 5.3 ypc. The passing attack was led by Anthony Morelli, whose play seemed to suffer through a Jekyll-and-Hyde complex. At times during the season, Morelli played like an All-American while at others the signal caller played like he was completely overwhelmed. By season's end, Morelli finished with just 2,508 yards and 18 touchdowns against nine interceptions. If Morelli can find a way to put forth a consistent effort in this matchup he will have the luxury of connecting with a trio of dangerous receivers. Derrick Williams was the main target on the season for Morelli, as the talented wideout grabbed a team-best 50 balls for 490 yards and three scores. Deon Butler and Jordan Norwood have the speed to stretch the defense, and when given a chance this year the two did just that, as Butler averaged 13.3 ypc and Norwood 12.1 ypc. Combined, the two receivers finished with 83 catches for 1,058 yards and eight touchdowns.

Tough defensive play is a staple for the Nittany Lions, and this year was no different as the squad did a solid job once again, limiting teams to just 17.6 ppg and only 306.6 total ypg. The main success for this unit has been against the run, as the Lions have held the opposition to just 87.9 ypg, on a mere 2.6 ypc. However, the team has been susceptible against the pass, allowing 218.7 ypg through the air and out of the 21 touchdowns surrendered, 14 have come via the pass. The team forced 25 turnovers on the season, but even more impressive was the Nittany Lions' ability to pressure the quarterback, as the squad racked up 45 sacks, which was second best in the nation at the end of the regular season. Linebacker Dan Connor was the main player for this unit, and he paced the team with 136 tackles, which included 14 TFLs and 6.5 sacks. After living in the shadow of former standout Paul Posluszny, Connor finally received recognition by being named a First Team All-American.

Throughout the season, the Aggies used a tremendous ground attack, which abused opponents for 215.6 ypg (12th best in the nation). Surprisingly, the main back has been the quarterback, as Stephen McGee rushed for 858 yards and five scores. Jorvorskie Lane added 746 yards and did a tremendous job finding the end zone, as the sophomore scored 16 touchdowns on the year. Mike Goodson is also a threat to cause mayhem out of the backfield, as the tailback rumbled for 646 yards behind 4.6 ypc. While McGee did a solid job on the ground, the signal caller was less than impressive with his arm, throwing for just 2,147 yards. On the year, the junior completed 57.7 percent of his throws, but tossed just 12 touchdowns against seven interceptions. One thing the Aggies do not possess is a go-to receiver, which could be the reason for McGee's mediocre numbers. The main threat for A&M is Martellus Bennett, but he has hauled in just 45 balls for 541 yards and four touchdowns.

What has hampered the Aggies all year has been the inconsistent play from the defensive unit, which allowed 416.0 total ypg and 26.1 ppg. Texas A&M had trouble against the run, surrendering 151.8 ypg, but the main issue was against the pass, as teams averaged a whopping 264.2 ypg through the air. Opposing offensive units have found the end zone on the ground and through the air this season against A&M, scoring 18 times by way of the run and 21 times via the pass. The Aggies have also found it extremely difficult to make big plays, and in 12 contests the team recorded 22 turnovers and collected just 18 sacks. Third down has been another sore spot for this unit, as the Aggies are allowing teams to convert 47 percent of their chances. There is not one standout on this defense, but linebacker Mark Dodge is a tough player, and should be considered the team's best defensive performer after leading the squad with 108 tackles this year.

Both the Lions and Aggies have similar offensive game plans, which is predicated on effective use of the ground game. However, where these two teams differ is on the defensive side of the ball, as Penn State is leaps and bounds better than A&M in that department, and ultimately that should be the difference.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Penn State 31, Texas A&M 13