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LI I I LI' I ' GAME SCHEDULE ■n in I I I I I L SOFTBALL vs. Charlotte, 3 and 5 p.m. Tuesday rage 1U ■ \ / I I | L I MEN’S TENNIS at North Carolina, 2:30 p.m. Thursday Monday, February 7,2005 V-X -L V. WOMEN’S BASKETBALL at Georgia, 7 p.m. Thursday Patriots take third title in four years ■ PATS Continued from page 1 Cowboys’ run of the 1990s and certify the Patriots of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady as the NFL’s latest dynasty. With MVP Deion Branch tying a Super Bowl record for receptions with 11, Brady efficiently running the offense and Rodney Harrison sparking a smothering defense, the Patriots won their ninth successive postseason game. That ties the record of Vince Lombardi’s Packers of the 1960s, and there’s hardly any better company a team can keep. The difference once again was an Adam Vinatieri field goal, this one a 22 yarder with 8:40 to go. New England won its other two Super Bowls by the margin of Vinatieri’s kicks. Philadelphia (15-4) got the ball back at its 4 with 46 seconds remaining. It was hardly enough time and far too much territory to cover against such a formidable foe. Harrison got his second interception with 9 seconds remaining to end it. Corey Dillon, a newcomer to the championship game, scored the go-ahead points on a 2-yard run early in the fourth period. And when Branch wasn’t running free and catching passes, the Patriots flaunted their versatility by again using linebacker Mike Vrabel to find the end zone. Vrabel has caught TD passes in two straight Super Bowls and has five TDs in as many career catches, not bad for a linebacker — or anyone else. And while Terrell Owens’ return from a seven-week injury layoff was an individual success — he had nine catches for 122 yards — it was not nearly the star turn that Branch made. Branch’s 11 catches covered 133 yards as he victimized one of the league’s best secondaries. He was most instrumental on the opening drive of the second half, which set the tone for New England’s 57th victory in its last 74 games. The Eagles showed resilience by responding with a 74-yard drive on which Brian Westbrook accounted for 39 yards, including the 10-yard score. McNabb whipped a pass over the middle between two defenders for the TD. Still, as winners always do, the Patriots reasserted themselves, effectively using screen passes against a tiring defense. Even when Eagles defenders shouted to each other to watch for the screen, New England made it work, particularly on Kevin Faulk’s 14-yarder that preceded Dillon's 2-yard run to make it 21-14. Vinatieri, who made last-second kicks to win the previous two Super Bowls, hit his chip shot to make it 24-14. When the Eagles came back on Greg Lewis’ 30-yard TD reception with 1:48 remaining, things got tight. Their victory gave New England its second team championship since the fall. This was hardly as dramatic as the long suffering Red Sox winning the World Series. Still, Boston is the hub of champions. ANN HEISENFELT/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS New England Patriots strong safety Rodney Harrison, center, celebrates his interception with teammates Asante Samuel, left, and Mike Vrabel late in the fourth quarter to seal the Patriots 24-21 victory over the Eagles. Harrison had two interceptions to account for half of the four turnovers the Patriots forced the Eagles to commit. Big game brings big plans at USC By MIQUELJACOBS STAFF WRITER It ic the most-watched sporting event in America, and college students treat it with respect. The 90-minute waiting time at popular eatery Wing Zone and the numerous calls needed to get through to an open line showed the dedication and seriousness taken for the game. Class work at USC took a backseat as students used a variety of methods to celebrate Super Bowl XXXIX. Preston College surprised its residents with a Super Bowl party, providing big-screen coverage and free food. This year’s leadership staff decided to fund the event as a way to bring together the residents and have fun at the same time. Resident hall director Edward Young saw to the comfort of his residents and used his free time to bestow biased wisdom upon those listening. “For the game, I’m going for Philly,” Young said. “I’ve been an Eagles fan since Cunningham was the quarterback. I can’t wait for them to win the Super Bowl." Philadelphia held the slight majority of fans at Preston with the others split between being New England fans and those who classified themselves as “others.” “The Patriots are going to win because they have the better defense, and defense wins championships,” Franklin Jones, a sophomore computer science student, said. For those on campus that did not live in Preston, a party was put together by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., on the second level of the Russell House. With a large offering of pizza, wings and drinks, the event was funded by McBryde and the Resident’s Hall Association. Like Preston College, this was the first time that Alpha Phi Alpha provided game coverage. There also was another slight favor for the Philadelphia Eagles. While the Russell House and Preston provided free food and big screen coverage, a majority of students decided to catch the event in their rooms. Using catering from Domino’s pizza and the grocery store, second-year music composition student Thomas Gilbert landed a small group of people to catch the game together. “We ordered six pizzas and rounded up some chips,” Gilbert said. “I’m also going to make some veggie burgers and watch it with some friends in my room. I know how to do it.” The game itself wasn’t the main draw as more than a few fans watched only for commercials and the halftime show. After last season’s wardrobe malfunction, Paul McCartney performed this year’s halftime show. “I’m looking forward to halftime," Lindsay Sherrill, a first-year journalism student, said. “Paul McCartney is an idol. It won’t be as good as last year’s show, but it will still be good." Second-year biology student Melissa Kimbrell expressed that her reasons for watching the game had ♦ Please see CAMPUS, page 11 KATIE KIRKLAND/THE GAMECOCK Students cheer on their team as they watch the Super Bowl at an organized party thrown by Preston Residence Hall on Sunday. Carolina wins first road game By CHARLES ODUM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ATHENS, Ga. — Carlos Powell didn’t need to see clearly with both eyes to identify a basketball game turning into something more physical. Asked if he felt he had just gone 15 rounds after he left South Carolina’s 60-53 win over Georgia with a swollen eye Saturday, the senior managed a pained laugh. “Oh man, 15? No, 30,” Powell said. “I got hit twice. Two times! Same eye.” Powell took the first hit from Georgia’s Corey Gibbs in the first half and then scored 12 of his team-leading 16 points in the second half. Powell, teammate Rocky Trice and South Carolina coach Dave Odom were hit with technical fouls in the second half as officials tried to control the physical game. There were a combined total of 38 fouls called, but no player fouled out. Taking its first Southeastern Conference road victory since Jan. 28, 2004, South Carolina improved to 13 7 overall and 5-4 in the SEC. Georgia (7-11 overall, 1-7 SEC) suffered its fourth straight loss. Odom said he expected a physical game and may have gone too far in gearing his team up for that style of play. “It was a difficult game to get a handle on,” Odom said. “There was a lot of body contact from the outset. “I’m probably as much at fault as anybody. I had my team a little on edge. I’m not sure we reacted as well as we should when there was physical contact.” Powell said he began the first half “kind of upset” about the hit that sent him sprawling with 5:28 left in the first half. He needed assistance leaving the floor. Powell returned to start the second half, but with his left eye almost swollen shut and still apparently frustrated about the hit that knocked him out of the game. After scoring early in the second half, Powell was hit with, a technical foul, triggering a string of three technicals against South Carolina in a span of 2:10. Trice drew one technical and, when a chair flew onto the floor during a timeout, Odom also was called for a technical foul. Odom said he threw his chair to the floor because he was upset with his team, not the officials. Odom said officials called the technicals on Powell and Trice for taunting Georgia players. The technicals helped Georgia take a 31-30 lead with 15:46 left to play, but South Carolina recovered to lead by as many as 11 points. Georgia, last in the SEC in scoring, field goial percentage and 3-point shooting, has been held to 55 or fewer points in five conference jgames. But R.C. RIQUE/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS USC’s Josh Gonner, left, defends Georgia’s Channing Toney • during the Gamecocks 60-52 win over the Bulldogs on Saturday. even by Georgia’s standards, this was an offensive struggle. The Bulldogs shot 30.6 percent from the field and made only 4 of 22 3 point attempts. “We fought hard, we fought really hard,” Felton said. “And hallelujah! We finally outrebDunded a team (31-30) for the first time in over a month. I’m very pleased with that.” Channing Toney led Georgia with 15 points. Sundiata Gaines added 12 points. Levi Stukes, Georgia’s leading scorer with 15.7 points per game, started after missing practice Thursday and Friday with a sprained right ankle. Stukes made only 2 of 10 shots froni|the field and had 10 points. Steve Nevfrnan also had 10 points for Georgia. A guide to surviving post-Super Bowl daze ■ What are football fans everywhere supposed to do until September? “I really believe, while I like to go to a football game live and feel the crowd and the rest, I really believe that when you sit at home and see a football game on television, you can probably see it as well or even better that you can see it by being rtcause the camera will watch that T-formation or the quarterback and will be sure you’re watching the ball rather than the fake.” — Former President Richard Nixon For me, the ■ ODD most difficult GREEN morning to drag myself out of GRADUATE bed is fa STUDENT IN w , - SPORTS AND Monday after ENTERTAINMENT the Super Bowl. MANAGEMENT Bcfore my friends and family members start getting together to plan an intervention, let me just say that I have never been a big fan of the legendary Super Bowl party. I try to avoid cramped apartments where you are lucky to get a seat anywhere close to the TV. There is always some drunken fool who shouts after every play how much of an idiot the coach is and how, if he had any brains at all, he would call this play or that. It makes me want to pull my hair out every time someone says, “I just watch the Super Bowl for the commercials," and there are usually quite a few of these people at the parties. I am usually the one that is cramming an unbelievable amount of chips and spinach dip down my throat, shocking and amazing everyone in the room. These days I just like to watch the game from the serenity of my home. I’m like Howard Hughes in “The Aviator," I lock myself away from everyone in hopes of watching the game in peace. The reason for my post-Super Bowl depression is that you wake up in the morning with the realization that there is no more football to be played, college or NFL, for more than six months. There is a great emptiness that comes with that realization. I believe there are others out there that feel the same. From the Douglas Adams book “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”: “Don’t panic!” There are a few things out there that can make the next few months tolerable. Arena football is in week two of its season. You have to love some of the nicknames these teams have — Las Vegas Gladiators, [ Los Angeles Avenge*^, ♦ Please see GREEN, page 11