SAN ANTONIO – The Valero Alamo Bowl was a fitting end to the Dennis Franchione era at Texas A&M. It was entertaining early, wildly inconsistent in the middle and ultimately a maroon-and-white heartbreaker.

A&M's defense couldn't stop Penn State quarterbacks Anthony Morelli and Daryll Clark. The offense started hot then cooled off. Even when the tide turned, the Aggies failed to utilize one of their best offensive playmakers in a critical situation yet again.

Somewhere down in Houston, new A&M coach Mike Sherman had to be making copious notes as the Aggies lost, 24-17. He starts this week, and Sherman's new coaching staff should be announced shortly after New Year's.

When ESPN cameras caught Jorvorskie Lane with tears running down his face Saturday night, it symbolized everything that's gone wrong in this 7-6 season.

"I think everybody's looking forward to Coach Sherman coming in and some new things," said A&M running back Mike Goodson, who rushed for 65 yards and scored two touchdowns. "We've just got to work hard and get ready for next season."

Lane, A&M's 280-pound bulldozer, wasn't even on the field when A&M faced fourth-and-1 at the Penn State 2 while trailing by seven. It was Miami all over again.

Quarterback Stephen McGee, who led a brilliant drive from the A&M 1, pulled out from under center and wanted to run the option. But McGee fell down for a 4-yard loss and the Nittany Lions (9-4) took over at their 6.

"We were going to go for it and have gusto," said A&M interim head coach Gary Darnell, who took over when Franchione resigned Nov. 23. "We'd already had our two-point play ready to go if we scored. We would have gone for two then. We were planning to win."

The teams traded punts, and then the Lions did enough to run out the clock. An incredibly pro-A&M crowd of 66,166 – the largest in Alamodome history – shuffled out in silence.

"When we had to get a couple first downs," Penn State coach Joe Paterno said, "those kids went out there tough."

Penn State's Evan Royster scored the touchdown that made the difference. He broke through the line and raced 38 yards with 19 seconds left in the third quarter to give PSU the lead. But it was 5-9 senior Rodney Kinlaw who truly carried the Nittany Lions. He had 143 yards on 21 carries.

Morelli was 15-for-31 for 143 yards and a touchdown. Whenever Clark was behind the center, he was running. Clark had 50 yards on six carries.

Leading up to the game, A&M offensive coordinator Les Koenning squirmed when reporters asked whether he called the plays against Texas. Several people inside the football offices admitted Koenning did just that, yet he refused to take the credit.

The Aggies came out firing against the Nittany Lions, just like they did against the Longhorns. This time, there was no doubt who was calling the shots. And early on, Koenning looked like a genius.

Goodson's 1-yard run capped a nine-play drive that had Penn State totally off balance. When A.J. Wallace fumbled the ensuing kickoff, Goodson scored on the next play, and the Aggies had a 14-0 lead with 4:10 remaining in the first quarter.

Some A&M fans probably fainted when the Aggies unveiled a six-receiver formation. That play resulted in a quick pass to Kerry Franks, who picked up 2 yards.

But when A&M's pre-game play script was exhausted, the offense started to sputter. Penn State started chipping away, courtesy of Morelli's arm and Clark's legs.

Morelli threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to a diving Deon Butler. Then Clark raced up the middle and stretched the ball over the goal line for an 11-yard score, and the score was tied.

A&M's defense scored a huge victory just before halftime. The Lions marched 78 yards and got all the way to the Aggies' 8-yard line before Morelli threw incomplete on third-and-goal. Despite a 16-play drive, PSU settled for Kevin Kelly's 25-yard field goal.

Penn State's defense registered a victory of its own in the third quarter when it stopped the Aggies at the PSU 21-yard line. A&M tied the score on Matt Szymanski's 38-yard field goal.