Ronza Anderson Jr.
MC301 Contributor
Cam Newton did not get the chance to “dabb on em” Sunday, Feb. 7 as the Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers by the score of 24-10 in Super Bowl 50.
The game, played in Santa Clara, Calif., lived up to all of its hype. It was a very low scoring defensive game. Neither offense was able to generate the high power offensive stats that they had been used to putting up during the season.
During this postseason, the Panthers had led for over 118 minutes and have only trialed for eight minutes. Yet, for the first time this postseason, the Panthers trailed for nearly the entire game, and never had the chance to take the lead.
There were a lot of mixed emotions about this year’s Super Bowl. There were fans who wanted Peyton Manning to win, so he could retire with a another Super Bowl ring; while others wanted to see Newton become the first quarterback to win a Heisman Trophy, College National Championship, National Football League MVP, and the Super Bowl.
Markaiya Francois, a sophomore computer technology major from Mendenhall, Miss. said, “Tonight’s game was trash. It was rigged and paid off but great season to the Carolina Panthers. I am a Saints fan at heart.”
The key to the Broncos victory was the play of their defense. Despite giving up a total of 315 total yards to the Panthers, they only allowed the Panthers to reach the end zone only one time. The Broncos showed why they deserved to be ranked No. 1 in the National Football League.
At the conclusion of the game, the Broncos had recorded a total of six sacks and collected four turnovers, according to ESPN.
Andre Lloyd, a junior criminal justice major from Yazoo City, Miss. said, “ I feel like it was a good defensive game. I wish Cam Newton and the Panthers would have won, but the game was rigged and the Panthers did not have much of a chance.”
Von Miller was named the Super Bowl MVP with his outstanding performance against the Panthers. Miller recorded a total of two sacks while also causing two forced fumbles, with one being returned for a defensive touchdown, according to CBS sports. Newton did not look comfortable in the pocket all night because of the major pressure he kept facing from Miller.
As the game came to a close, there were a lot of saddened faces on the Panthers sideline. No one seemed to take it harder than Panthers Pro Bowl corner Josh Norman. Cameras panned and saw Norman crying as the confetti started to fall on the ground. During the post-game press conference, Norman called the loss, “gut-wrenching” according to ESPN.
On the other hand, Manning was surrounded by cameras and was asked only one question, “Is this your last game?” Manning responded, “I have other priorities that need to be handled, like seeing my boys, kissing my wife, and drinking a whole lot of Budweiser tonight,” according to Fox Sports.
Reality has now set in with both fans and players that last night was the conclusion of another football season. What will next season have in store for fans?
