Penn State 24, Texas A&M 17
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Final Score: Penn State 24, Texas A&M 17
Game Details
- Attendance: 66,166
- TV Rating: 2.7
- Payout: $3,850,000 (combined)
- Offensive MVP: Rodney Kinlaw, RB, Penn State
- Defensive MVP: Sean Lee, LB, Penn State
- Sportsmanship Award: Mark Dodge, LB, Texas A&M
- Head Coaches: Joe Paterno (Penn State), Gary Darnell (Texas A&M)
- Final Records: Penn State (9–4), Texas A&M (7–6)
Game Recap
Penn State’s comeback victory in the 2007 Valero Alamo Bowl didn’t look likely early on, as Texas A&M jumped out to a 14–0 lead in the first quarter.
The Nittany Lions responded with 17 unanswered points in the second quarter, capped by Anthony Morelli’s 30-yard touchdown pass to Deon Butler, a Daryll Clark 11-yard touchdown run, and a Kevin Kelly field goal.
Texas A&M tied the game at 17–17 in the third quarter with a 38-yard field goal from Matt Szymanski, but Penn State answered quickly. Evan Royster broke free for a 38-yard touchdown run, giving the Nittany Lions the lead for good.
Late in the fourth quarter, Texas A&M drove deep into Penn State territory, but the Aggies’ fourth-and-goal attempt was stopped short, sealing the Lions’ 24–17 win.
Rodney Kinlaw earned Offensive MVP honors after rushing for 143 yards on 21 carries. Linebacker Sean Lee took home Defensive MVP, while Texas A&M’s Mark Dodge was recognized with the Sportsmanship Award.
A bowl-record crowd of 66,166 filled the Alamodome, while 4.1 million viewers tuned in on ESPN. The broadcast faced stiff competition from the NFL, which aired the New England Patriots’ attempt at a perfect regular season on multiple networks that same night.
Note: Penn State later vacated this victory due to NCAA sanctions.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
- TAMU – Mike Goodson 1-yd run (Bean kick)
- TAMU – Goodson 16-yd run (Szymanski kick)
2nd Quarter
- PSU – Deon Butler 30-yd pass from Morelli (Kelly kick)
- PSU – Daryll Clark 11-yd run (Kelly kick)
- PSU – Kevin Kelly 25-yd FG
3rd Quarter
- TAMU – Matt Szymanski 38-yd FG
- PSU – Evan Royster 38-yd run (Kelly kick)
Final: Penn State 24, Texas A&M 17
Team Stats
| Category | Penn State | Texas A&M |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 23 | 17 |
| Rushing (Att-Yds) | 41-270 | 38-164 |
| Passing (Comp-Att-Int, Yds) | 15-31-1, 143 | 19-31-1, 164 |
| Total Offense (Plays-Yds) | 72-413 | 69-328 |
| Avg. Gain Per Play | 5.7 | 4.8 |
| Time of Possession | 29:40 | 30:20 |
| 3rd Down Conversions | 6/16 (46%) | 6/16 (46%) |
Individual Leaders
Rushing
- PSU: Kinlaw 21-143; Royster 9-65; Clark 6-50
- TAMU: Goodson 14-65; McGee 8-41; Lane 10-34
Passing
- PSU: Morelli 15-31-1, 143 yds
- TAMU: McGee 19-31-1, 164 yds
Receiving
- PSU: Butler 4-59; Williams 5-39; Golden 2-32
- TAMU: Bennett 4-46; Goodson 7-30; Lane 3-33