On Sunday, Feb. 4, the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots made history by competing for the title in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Associated Students (AS) hosted a Super Bowl LII viewing party in the east lounge of the student center. Students gathered to watch the game and enjoy the free snacks and refreshments.
The Super Bowl’s most valuable player (MVP), quarterback Nick Foles, led the Philadelphia Eagles to victory, beating the New England Patriots 41-33. Super Bowl LII marks the first Super Bowl win in franchise history for the Eagles.
Although the game was played indoors, Super Bowl LII was noted as the coldest one in history as it was 2 degrees Fahrenheit at kickoff in Minneapolis.
The Eagles started the game off by scoring in the first quarter on a 25-yard field goal kicked by Jake Elliott, putting the Eagles up 3-0 against the Patriots.
Zach Ertz, tight end for Philadelphia, executed the game-winning touchdown for the Eagles. There were two minutes and 25 seconds left in the game and the Eagles were down by a single point. Ertz finished the game with seven receptions for 67 yards to go along with his game winning touchdown.
Going into the game, the Patriots were favored, as the Eagles were the underdog. The Eagles were having a hell-of-a-year until their starting quarterback Carson Wentz tore his anterior cruciate ligament and his lateral collateral ligament, ending his season.
Wentz’s injury was thought to end the Eagles’ season and destroy all hopes of making it to the Super Bowl. Nick Foles got his chance on the field, stepped up, stayed composed against Tom Brady, and became the first player to throw and catch a touchdown in the same game in Super Bowl history.
Super Bowl LII was the Eagles’ third Super Bowl appearance ever. They had two previous Super Bowls losses including one to the Patriots in 2005.
The New England Patriots came into the Super Bowl not only as a five-time Super Bowl winning franchise, but also as reigning champions as they beat the Falcons 34-28 in overtime in 2017.
40-year-old quarterback for the Patriots and four-time Super Bowl MVP, Brady, failed to win his sixth Super Bowl despite passing for a postseason record of 505 yards.
The game ended with a Hail Mary pass from Brady that fell incomplete, sealing the deal for Philadelphia.
Despite coming down with the flu, Pink opened the event, singing the National Anthem. Bets were placed in Vegas on whether Pink would go over/under 120 seconds while singing..
Justin Timberlake paid tribute to Prince during the halftime show. He sang a cover of “I Would Die 4 U” and included a hologram of Prince singing the song simultaneously. This caused controversy to many Prince fans because they recalled an interview where Prince said he despised the use of holograms. Timberlake also sang bits and pieces from his songs: “Cry Me A River”, “Suit & Tie”, “Sexy Back”, “Senorita”, “Mirrors”, “My Love”, “Can’t Stop The Feeling”, and “Filthy.”
