Texas Tech University Athletics
Mahomes, McPhearson move on to Super Bowl LVII
January 29, 2023 | Football
Patrick Mahomes II will play in his third Super Bowl in the past four years after Sunday’s victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech will be represented by multiple Red Raiders in the Super Bowl for the first time since 2018 as Patrick Mahomes II (Chiefs) and Zech McPhearson (Eagles) both picked up victories Sunday in the NFL Championship round.
For Mahomes, it is his third Super Bowl appearance in the past for years as he completed 29-of-43 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns in a gutsy performance to lead Kansas City to a 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. Mahomes is 1-1 all-time in the Super Bowl after defeating San Francisco in Super Bowl LIV in 2020 before falling a year later to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Mahomes, a favorite for possible NFL MVP recognition, once again had a flare for the dramatic to top the Bengals, sprinting on an injured right ankle to get out of bounds and draw a late hit penalty to position Kansas City for the game-winning 45-yard field goal from Harrison Butker. He previously found Travis Kelce on a 14-yard touchdown late in the second quarter and then Marquez Valdes-Scantling from 19 yards out for his two touchdown passes.
The victory was Mahomes' 10th already in his young NFL career, making him the youngest quarterback in NFL history to reach that mark, according to ESPN Stats & Info. The win also helped push Mahomes, at only 27 years old, past Tom Brady as the youngest quarterback in history to reach three Super Bowls.
Mahomes will face a stingy Eagles team in the Super Bowl, though, that features McPhearson as a backup defensive back and a key figure on special teams. McPhearson had one tackle in the Eagles' victory over San Francisco earlier in the day Sunday, his first ever in the postseason. He was selected by the Eagles in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft after earning All-Big 12 first team honors as a senior in 2020.
This will be the first time since Super Bowl I where Texas Tech has alumni on both sides of the field as the Red Raiders were represented that year by two Ring of Honor members in E.J. Holub (Chiefs) and Donny Anderson (Packers). Texas Tech previously had multiple Red Raiders in the biggest game in football back in 2018 when Danny Amendola and LaAdrian Waddle were with the New England Patriots.
Texas Tech now has a Red Raider in the Super Bowl for the 13th time in a 14-year stretch and the 18th time during the Big 12 era. The Red Raiders were guaranteed at least one alumni in the Super Bowl as McPhearson and the Eagles topped a 49ers team that featured Kerry Hyder Jr.Â
Super Bowl LVII is slated for a 5:30 p.m. kick Feb. 12 from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The game will be covered nationally via FOX.
That's our QB ??#RaidTheLeague x #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/XvXuPXG75T
— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) January 30, 2023
The AFC still runs through @PatrickMahomes??
— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) January 30, 2023
For the 3rd time in 4 years, he's headed to the Super Bowl! #RaidTheLeague x #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/5OfzGqkwwq
SUPER BOWL BOUND??
— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) January 29, 2023
Congrats @ZMcphearson!#RaidTheLeague x #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/GRhoziUwmW
