Monday, December 20 Penn State ends string of New Year's Day bowl appearances
Associated Press
SAN ANTONIO -- After upsetting Texas the day after
Thanksgiving, Texas A&M learned Sunday it will play Penn State in
the Alamo Bowl.
The No. 18 Aggies (8-3) will face the No. 13 Nittany Lions (9-3)
Dec. 28 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Still reeling from a bonfire accident in which 12 people died
and 27 others were injured, the Aggies came from behind on Nov. 26
to defeat the Longhorns 20-16.
Their next challenge is a Penn State team that jumped to a 9-0
start and was ranked as high as second in the polls before losing
its final three games to Minnesota, Michigan, Michigan State.
The Alamo Bowl marks the 30th time in 34 seasons the Nittany
Lions have gone to a bowl under Joe Paterno, breaking the mark of
29 appearances set by the late Paul "Bear" Bryant. Paterno also
is the all-time leader in victories in bowl games with 19, the last
one coming this past Jan. 1 after defeating Kentucky 26-14 in the
Outback Bowl.
But Penn State's first appearance in the Alamo Bowl also ends
the school's eight-year streak of appearing in New Year's Day bowl
games.
