SAN ANTONIO -- Gary Darnell is Texas A&M's new coach, but he hasn't tried to change the Aggies since he took over the team on Nov. 24.

The players, he said, don't wear their pads any higher or lower than they did on Nov. 23.

This year's Aggies, Darnell said, learned a "tough-guy" style of play from their previous head coach, Dennis Franchione, who resigned last month. Next season, they'll be learning their style of play from Mike Sherman, the current offensive coordinator of the Houston Texans who will take over the Aggies next week.

But none of that matters to Darnell right now. The coach's goal, he said, is to reinforce what the players already know. Saturday night will be his first -- and only -- chance to see how well that approach has worked when Texas A&M takes on Penn State in the Alamo Bowl.

"It's real important that, in the firestorms, that you have to remain calm and poised and focus on what you're doing," Darnell said, sitting alongside Joe Paterno at a press conference Friday. "With that, then the confidence and trust grows and then people can do their jobs."

Sherman's tenure in Houston ends on Sunday, and he will report to work as Texas A&M's new head coach early next week, team spokesman Alan Cannon said. Sherman has already met with the current staff members to discuss their future with the Aggies, Cannon added.

Darnell might be staying, or he might be going. Cannon said he expects Sherman to publicly name his staff sometime next week. But Darnell is focusing only on Saturday night and staying poised in his new position of leadership. Being nervous about his first game, he said, would only be counterproductive.

"Nothing would be more frightening than to be the command pilot of a three-man jet and you've got the jitters," Darnell said. "How do you think those other people feel?"

When Darnell was promoted to interim head coach last month, he wasn't sure who the Aggies would face in the postseason, but the possibility of playing against Paterno's Nittany Lions crossed his mind.

"Wow. How is that going to be?" Darnell recalled thinking at the time.

Saturday's game will be Paterno's 500th as Penn State's head coach, though the 81-year-old tried on Friday to pretend that he wasn't aware of the milestone. Paterno was content to say that he has "been in a lot of bowl games," but indicated that he would rather the attention be diverted toward his players.

But, just like questions are sure to arise about Darnell's approach to leading the Aggies for a single game, other questions are sure to be asked about Paterno's ability to lead the Lions for more than 500.

Ray Saul, a general staff member for the Hazleton Standard-Speaker, was sitting in the front row during Friday's press conference. Saul, who is six weeks older than Paterno, said that he became familiar with the coach while serving as the newspaper's sports editor for 25 years.

"My girlfriend said you can still do it," Saul said to Paterno during the press conference.

Paterno was confused.

"Said what?" the coach asked.

Saul continued: "You're in great shape and you can still do it. I think you can still do it. You have been doing it, and you will continue to do it."

The crowd of reporters assembled in front of the two coaches roared with laughter. A broad smile formed across Paterno's face as he began to respond.

"Holy smoke," he said. "I'm not Hugh Hefner, you know.

"I don't know how long I'm going to go. The good Lord's got some rhyme and reason for some things. I've been very fortunate. I enjoy it."