PRIYA COOPER / SPORTS EDITOR

The NFL season concluded this past Sunday with the annual Super Bowl, held in  Santa Clara, California at Levi’s Stadium, the home of the San Francisco 49ers. The final score of Super Bowl LX (60) was 29-13, with  the Seattle Seahawks defeating the New England  Patriots. The  Seahawks dominated and remained ahead for the entirety of the game, scoring their first field goal early on in the first quarter. 

Seahawks tight end AJ Barner  celebrates the win. Photo courtesy of @seahawks/Instagram 

  Seattle’s defense limited New England’s offense throughout the game. Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III earned Super Bowl MVP honors after rushing for 135 yards, and kicker Jason Myers from Chula Vista set a Super Bowl record with five field goals. Myers was Super Bowl LX’s featured scorer through the  first three quarters, nailing  field  goals from  33, 39, 41 and 41 yards out to secure a 12-0 lead during that span.

   Patriots’ quarterback Drake Maye struggled, and had over three turnovers and was sacked six times throughout the course of the game. The Patriots remained scoreless until Maye connected with wide receiver Mack Hollins on a 35-yard touchdown pass, trimming the deficit to 19-7 with 12:27 minutes remaining. New England failed to close the gap further after throwing interceptions on its next two possessions.

    USD senior Gabriella Pardo commented on the Patriots performance and noted the lack of offense from New England. 

 “The game was legit Christian Gonzales against the Seahawks and that’s all I have to say,” Pardo said. 

   Seahawks’ quarterback Sam Darnold delivered a controlled, turnover-free performance in Super Bowl LX. He completed 19 of 38 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown, connecting with tight end A.J. Barner for a 16-yard scoring strike that helped extend Seattle’s lead in the fourth quarter. Darnold avoided costly mistakes against a tough Patriots defense and took only one sack,  managing  the game efficiently. 

 USD first-year Matthew Elliot discussed his allegiances while watching the game over the weekend. 

  “I wanted the Patriots to win, because  I’m a  Niners fan,” Elliot said. “I hate the Seahawks, so I was rooting against them. So I really wasn’t too  happy  with the outcome, but   also  not  that  affected  by it.”

    Seattle’s victory avenged their 28-24 defeat to the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX in 2015, when New England sealed the win with a late goal-line interception  by  Malcom  Butler. 

 Following the final whistle, USD senior Kate Myers shared her thoughts. 

   “I honestly didn’t care much for either team, but I was kind of hoping the Patriots could pull it off,” Myers said. “I feel like the game itself was not as exciting as years past, and kind of disappointing overall. Halfway through the first half when there still had not been a touchdown I checked out and was just waiting for ‘BAILE INoLVIDABLE’ to play at the halftime show.”

  USD junior Justin Panther has similar views on the intensity of the game.  

  “My thoughts were that it was just very boring,” Panther said. “I mean low-scoring games can still be exciting, but the game just wasn’t close or that interesting at all.”

While  Seattle’s defensive control played a key role in the outcome, the lack of offensive momentum left some spectators disengaged as the game progressed. 

  USD junior Anthony Cheng talked about the team’s efforts and how it impacted his views of the game.

  “I fell asleep like mid third quarter because it was just such a lopsided defensive battle that it got extremely boring,” Cheng said. “And then the only part of the game that I thought was really good or entertaining was during the garbage time when everybody just started chucking missiles down field.”

   The  victory   marked  the   second  Super Bowl  title in Seattle Seahawks franchise history and earned the organization its second Vince Lombardi Trophy.           

Super Bowl champions show off after victory over Patriots. Photo courtesy of @seahawks/Instagram

  Two Torero alumni were a part of the Seahawks Super Bowl victory this year. Gianna Kelley from the graduating class of ’25 was a part of the Seahawks dance team and Ivan Lewis from the class of ’03 works as the Director of Player Performance  and  Development. 

Lewis also coached at the University of San Diego, for two years from 2002-03 where he worked with the football team and other sports. 

  The 2026-2027 NFL football season does not start up again until September, giving teams a chance to reset while the Seahawks can enjoy their achievements. 

Sam Darnold and Kenneth Walker III hold the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Photo courtesy of @seahawks/Instagram