Frustration.

The Philadelphia Eagles lost 24-21 to the New England Patriots last night in Jacksonville, Fla., in a nail-biter that kept Eagles fans hoping and cheering until the end, when reality set in.

"I think the Eagles blew a lot of opportunities," Michael Carney (senior-finance) said as he watched the game at Sports Café, 244 W. College Ave. "I salute the Patriots fans [be]cause they got it done. The Patriots made plays at the end and the Eagles didn't."

The Eagles scored a touchdown late in the game to cut the Patriots' lead to three, but it was not enough as time expired on the Birds' first Super Bowl trip since 1981.

"It was a good game, but we had more experience," Patriots fan Leanne Gottschalk (junior-hotel, restaurant and institutional management) said. "We shut down the whole state of Pennsylvania."

Gottschalk, who hails from Boston, said she is glad she won't have to hear any more E-A-G-L-E-S chants from her apartment window late at night.

Justin Wolcott (junior-finance), a Boston native who watched the game at The Gingerbread Man, 130 Hiester St., said the Patriots are going to be a dynasty after their win against the Eagles.

"They've won three championships in the last few years," Wolcott said. "Of course, they're a dynasty."

For Eagles fans, there was nothing good about the night -- even the commercials and the halftime show lacked originality.

"It wasn't what you'd want for the Super Bowl, but it was Paul McCartney," Sarah Sweeney (senior-premedicine) said, referring to the halftime performance by the former Beatles member. "It was great just because it was Paul McCartney."

Courtney Lewis (senior-journalism) said she thought the Super Bowl halftime show could have been more stimulating.

"I thought it was pretty boring," she said. "I didn't really watch."

Sara Graul (senior-journalism) said she would have liked to see someone "a little more popular right now" play during the halftime show. She added the commercials fell short of last year's as well.

"They were entertaining, but nothing stood out," she said.

Nothing seemed to stand out downtown, either.

Despite the tense atmosphere in Beaver Canyon, State College Police reported no disturbances immediately following the Patriots victory over the Eagles.

"We haven't had a call yet," State College Police Officer Bryan Foster said.

Disheartened Eagles fans poured from the apartments of Beaver Canyon -- some in search of pizza, others needing to vent.

Jubilant Patriots supporters and some vengeful Pittsburgh Steelers fans shouted "L-O-S-E-R-S!" from the balconies to poke fun at the Philadelphia chant.

No fights broke out between fans, State College Police Sgt. Keith Robb said.

"It was a pretty well-behaved crowd, considering the atmosphere," Robb said.

Although people didn't outwardly express their anger and sadness, the spirits of Eagles fans were crushed.

Most fans remained true to the pervasive Philadelphia lamentation that there's always next year.

"We have proved ourselves all year when people doubted us," Steven Fickner (junior-biology) said. "People said we'd lose without T.O. [Terrell Owens] and against the Falcons, and we didn't. We'll be back next season."

Collegian staff writers Drew Curley and Erin James contributed to this report.