Looking Back (Feb. 3) | New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14
The New York Giants defeated the previously unbeaten New England Patriots 17-14 on Sunday in Super Bowl XLII, a game that featured three fourth-quarter lead changes and will go down as one of the greatest in NFL history.
A record 90.7 million fans tuned in to watch Eli Manning lead the Giants on an improbable game-winning drive in the final minutes of the season. The drive, a star-making performance by Manning, included one of the more sensational plays in Super Bowl history.
Nearly sacked by three Patriots defensive linemen, Manning somehow escaped their grasp, scrambled to his right, and tossed a 32-yard pass to wide receiver David Tyree, who trapped the ball against his helmet to make the catch. Manning capped the drive by hitting wide receiver Plaxico Burress in the end zone with under a minute to go, putting the Giants up 17-14 with half a minute remaing. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady took over with 35 seconds remaining, but last-second desperation throws to Randy Moss fell incomplete, giving New York the victory.
For the Patriots, the loss ended their quest for a perfect 19-0 season in brutal fashion, as rumors continue to swirl regarding the Patriots' involvement in Spygate-related activities before Super Bowl XXXVI. Belichick also created a bit of controversy by walking off the field before the final play of the game. Perhaps the most striking image was seeing Tom Brady dejectedly walk into the tunnel, his air of invincibility forever shattered.
Looking Ahead (Feb. 8-9) | Men's Basketball vs. Middlebury and Williams
The men's basketball team (10-9, 0-5 NESCAC) will be seeking its first NESCAC win this weekend against two stiff conference opponents. The Jumbos will host Middlebury College on Friday and Williams College on Saturday. Tufts is coming off of 86-74 loss against nationally-ranked No. 2 UMass Dartmouth last night at Cousens Gym.
With a playoff berth seeming less likely with each loss, this weekend is critical for Tufts. Last season, the Jumbos lost to Middlebury 102-91 before rebounding to rout Williams 82-65 the following afternoon.
The Jumbos have lost five of their past six games and are desperate for a win as they seek to salvage their season. In order to have success this weekend, Tufts will need senior center Pat Sullivan to continue his hot play as of late. Sullivan had a career game, scoring 20 points on 5-of-9 shooting in the team's heartbreaking 80-78 loss against Wesleyan last Saturday.
The Jumbos also feature junior forward Jon Pierce, who is one of the top offensive threats in the NESCAC, averaging 22.6 points per game and hauling down 8.2 rebounds per contest. The Tufts squad also relies on senior forward Jake Weitzen, who is producing 13.9 points per game in the final season of his career.
Both Williams and Middlebury are in the thick of the NESCAC standings. The Panthers are tied for fourth with a 3-2 record, while the Ephs sit in seventh at 2-3.
