Super Bowl 50 will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 7. where the Carolina Panthers will face the Denver Broncos at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA.
The Carolina Panthers have a 15-1 season record. They are led by quarterback Cam Newton, one of six African-American quarterbacks to play in the Super Bowl.
The Denver Broncos have a record of 12-4. They are led by quarterback Peyton Manning, who could be playing his last NFL game in Super Bowl 50, but the quarterback has yet to confirm or deny the rumor.
The two teams rank close together on both sides of the ball, except where the Panthers have a significant lead over the Broncos in points per game, rush yards per game, and third down conversion percentages, according to nfl.com.
Key Panthers players include quarterback Cam Newton, who threw for nearly 4,000 this season, and wide receiver Greg Olson, who had just over 1,000 receiving yards during the regular season.
The Denver Broncos’ Peyton Manning had nearly 2,300 passing yards and wide receivers Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders both had more than 1,000 receiving yards. Inside linebackers Brandon Marshall and Danny Trevathan both had over 100 tackles and cornerback Aqib Talib led the defense with three interceptions.
Both the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos have fans all over America, including at Baylor.
Garland junior Mark Fernandez has been a fan of the Carolina Panthers for 12 years.
“I have been a Panther fan since 2004 when they went to the Super Bowl. I’m a huge Cam Newton fan and I like what he’s bringing to the league,” Fernandez said.
Wellford, S.C. sophomore Clara Ruth West is also a Carolina Panthers fan.
“I’m from the East Coast, I’m from South Carolina, so I have to represent,” West said.
For Flower Mound sophomore Grace Bregard, it’s more about the player.
“My family has always been big Peyton Manning fans,” Bregard said. “He played for the University of Tennessee and my mom went there. We’ve loved him since he played for the Colts.”
On the other hand, Cam Newton is the favorite player between West and Fernandez.
“Cam Newton is bringing something new to the Carolina Panthers, which is becoming a role model, versatility as a quarterback and he has good overall character,” Fernandez said. “I think he was the underdog in the beginning and now he’s turned into something of value,” West added.
Fernandez, West and Bregard all have family traditions of hosting Super Bowl watch parties at their home, inviting family and friends over to eat and watch the football game.
Both Bregard and Fernandez are confident that Super Bowl 50 will be a good matchup.
“I’m worried for the Broncos a little bit because the Panthers demolished the last team they played but hopefully it will be a good game to watch,” Bregard said. Fernandez added his excitement because this will be Cam Newton’s first Super Bowl.
Super Bowl 50 will be broadcast on CBS.
