By: Ishan Goyal
Here is a follow-up article to the Super Bowl preview in the paper.
On Sunday, February 3rd, the Baltimore Ravens secured their second Super Bowl victory in the past 12 years after a nail biting clash against the San Francisco 49ers. The game was full of drama that included a battle of brother coaches, an inexplicable blackout, and a near 49ers comeback. To complement the game, singer Beyonce gave a thrilling performance during halftime that electrified the crowd while the audience back home enjoyed the humorous commercials.
The first half of the game was rather one sided with the Ravens offense splitting the Niners defense play by play. Ravens quarterback, Joe Flacco threw three touchdown passes in the first half alone, securing him the finals MVP award. Jacoby Jones kickoff return for 108 yards seemed to seal the deal as the touchdown gave the Ravens a commanding 28-6 lead.
The blackout however seemed to reinvigorate the Niners. Michael Crabtree completed a 31-yard reception while Frank Gore rushed into the end zone to bring the Niners back within eight. The San Francisco defense also toughened up, forcing a fumble from the intimidating Ray Lewis and bringing the score as close as 31-29. Aspiring quarterback Colin Kaepernick made several impressive plays too including a 15 yard touchdown run. The Niners were given their chance to clinch victory, but failed to convert their final three plays and were left just short of the end zone. The Ravens knew they had won and they slowly burned down the clock, leaving the Niners offense helpless. The final score of the Super Bowl was 34-31 in favor of the Ravens.
Players like Ray Lewis and Joe Flacco were paraded throughout Baltimore for their defensive and offensive contributions respectively. Meanwhile in San Francisco, the Niners look to make pivotal off season trades that may determine the future of Alex Smith and the general direction of the team. In short, the Super Bowl lived up to the drama and hype that analysts had been building all through the past couple weeks.
