2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, September 6: Oregon State
Despite the off-field distractions, the Nittany Lions rolled to a 35–7 halftime lead en route to a 45–14 win in their first ever meeting with the Beavers. Sophomore tailback Evan Royster ran for a career-high 141 yards on seventeen carries and three touchdowns. Daryll Clark's 276 total yards of offense (215 yards passing, 61 yards rushing) helped Penn State total 454 yards of offense.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, September 6: Oregon State
Linebackers Tyrell Sales and NaVorro Bowman both recorded ten tackles each, both career-highs. Linebacker Josh Hull and safety Mark Rubin both made their first career interceptions. Junior defensive end Jerome Hayes, making his first career start in place of the suspended Evans, was lost for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL in his left knee. Hayes missed the latter half of the 2007 season with a torn ACL in his right knee.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, September 6: Oregon State
For his performance, Royster was named Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, September 13: Syracuse
The Nittany Lions defeated their old rivals 55–13 in their first meeting since the series was last played in 1990. Each of Penn State's three quarterbacks threw touchdown passes. Daryll Clark finished 10 of 21 for 163 yards and two touchdowns, Pat Devlin was 8 of 13 for 130 yards and two touchdowns, and Paul Cianciolo was 2 of 4 for 51 yards and a score. Receivers Jordan Norwood and Deon Butler both had over 100 yards receiving and two touchdowns apiece. Kevin Kelly kicked a 52-yard field goal just before halftime, the second-longest of his career, and backup kicker Collin Wagner kicked a 43-yard field goal late in the third quarter, his first career field goal.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, September 13: Syracuse
The Nittany Lion defense held the Orange offense without a first down until early in the second quarter.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, September 20: Temple
After a scoreless first quarter, the Nittany Lions scored three touchdowns in the first six minutes of the second quarter en route to a 31–0 halftime lead. The Penn State defense held the Owls to only 138 yards of total offense, including only 16 yards on the ground. In contrast, the Nittany Lions totaled 546 of offense, highlighted by Stephfon Green's 132 rushing yards including a 69-yard touchdown.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, September 20: Temple
Sophomore linebacker NaVorro Bowman, in his first start, recorded eleven tackles, including five tackles for loss and three sacks, a forced fumble and an interception. Bowman was named Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, September 20: Temple
The win, combined with Florida State's loss to Wake Forest, gave Paterno sole possession of the career record for most wins by a Division I FBS coach.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, September 27: Illinois
The Nittany Lions defeated the Fighting Illini 38–24 in a nationally televised, prime time, "White Out" game, earning their first win over a ranked opponent this season and their first victory over a ranked opponent in a conference opener since joining the Big Ten. Illinois jumped out to a 14–7 lead, becoming the first team to take a lead on the Nittany Lions and the first to score points against them in the first quarter this season. However, the Nittany Lions responded with two touchdowns en route to a 21–14 halftime lead.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, September 27: Illinois
The Illini wouldn't score again until kicking a field goal on the final play of the third quarter after recovering a Stephfon Green fumble, but Derrick Williams returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown. Penn State was 4 of 4 in the red zone and was penalized only once for 10 yards.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, September 27: Illinois
The Illini's 24 points were the most allowed by Penn State this season as were their 189 total rushing yards.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, September 27: Illinois
Derrick Williams is the first player under Paterno to score a rushing, receiving, and a kick return touchdown in the same game. His career-high 241 all-purpose yards (33 rushing, 75 receiving and 133 on kick returns) are the most by a Nittany Lion since Larry Johnson gained 289 yards versus Michigan State in 2002. Williams was selected the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, October 4: Purdue
Penn State defeated the Boilermakers 20–6 in their last matchup against Purdue coach Joe Tiller, who is retiring after this season. The Nittany Lions outgained Purdue 422 to 241 in total offense.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, October 4: Purdue
Daryll Clark completed 18 of 26 passes for 226 yards and a ran for a touchdown—a quarterback sneak on 4th-and-goal in the second quarter for the first points of the game. Running back Evan Royster ran for 141 yards and a touchdown and also caught four passes for 53 yards.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, October 4: Purdue
Purdue quarterback Curtis Painter finished 13 of 22 for 112 yards but was replaced by backup Joey Elliott after throwing an interception to Nittany Lions safety Drew Astorino. Purdue kicker Chris Summers missed all three of his kick attempts—two field goal attempts and an extra point attempt. Running back Kory Sheets' fourth-quarter touchdown on Purdue's last possession of the game was Purdue's first offensive touchdown against Penn State since 2005.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, October 11: Wisconsin
Daryll Clark ran for two touchdowns and threw for one to Deon Butler in Penn State's 48–7 win over the Badgers in Camp Randall Stadium, handing them their worst home loss since 1989. Derrick Williams returned a punt for a touchdown, Evan Royster and backup quarterback Pat Devlin scored touchdowns on short runs, and Kevin Kelly kicked two field goals for the Nittany Lions. Penn State was penalized only once for 10 yards.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, October 11: Wisconsin
Clark was 16 of 25 passing for a career-high 244 yards and a touchdown, and also ran for a pair of scores for the first time in his career. He was named Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Week.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, October 11: Wisconsin
Defensive end Aaron Maybin, making only his fifth career start, was named Big Ten's Co-Defensive Player of the Week. Maybin recorded six tackles, a career-high 3.5 tackles-for-loss, a sack, two forced fumbles and a pass break-up. Maybin also stripped Badgers quarterback Allen Evridge late in the first half deep in Badgers territory, which was recovered by linebacker Josh Hull. Lydell Sargeant intercepted two passes, his first interceptions of the season.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, October 18: Michigan
In front of the fourth-largest crowd in Beaver Stadium history, the Nittany Lions ended a nine-game losing streak to the Wolverines, dating back to 1997. Michigan tallied 204 yards of offense and scored on their first three possessions to take a 17–7 lead early in the second quarter. Daryll Clark's touchdown pass to Jordan Norwood late in the first half cut Michigan's lead to 17–14. Despite trailing at halftime for the first time this season, the Nittany Lion offense would outscore the Wolverines 32–0 in the second half and the defense made key halftime adjustments to limit the Wolverines to only 87 yards the remainder of the game.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, October 18: Michigan
Clark finished 18 of 31 for 171 yards and a touchdown and also ran for 45 yards and two one-yard touchdowns, but lost a fumble on Penn State's second drive which led to a Wolverine field goal. Evan Royster ran for a career-high 174 yards on eighteen carries for a 9.7 yard per carry average, including a 44-yard touchdown for Penn State's first points. Deon Butler had a season-high eight receptions for 105 yards, his fourth-career 100-yard game. Stephfon Green took a screen pass from Pat Devlin and outran the Wolverines defense 80 yards for the Nittany Lions' final score.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, October 18: Michigan
Linebacker NaVorro Bowman led the defense with eleven tackles. Defensive tackle Jared Odrick made a career-high six stops, with 2.5 tackles for loss, but his biggest play occurred with 4:39 remaining in the third quarter when he sacked Michigan quarterback Nick Sheridan, who was playing in place of the injured Steven Threet, in the end zone for a safety and Penn State's first lead of the game, 19–17. Aaron Maybin finished with four tackles, including a sack of Threet that forced a fumble, which was recovered by Abe Koroma and led to a Penn State touchdown.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, October 18: Michigan
Kicker Kevin Kelly made three field goals and five extra points to become the Big Ten's all-time leader in career kick scoring (376 career points) and was named the Big Ten's Special Teams Player of the Week. Odrick's sack for a safety was named the Pontiac Game Changing Performance of the Week.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, October 25: Ohio State
For the fourth straight year, ESPN's College GameDay crew broadcast from the site of the Penn State–Ohio State match-up.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, October 25: Ohio State
In front of an Ohio Stadium-record crowd of 105,711, the Nittany Lions got their first win at Ohio State since 1978 by defeating the Buckeyes 13–6 in a game where both offenses were held below their season averages. The turning point of the game occurred early in the fourth quarter with Ohio State holding a three-point lead and facing a 3rd-and-1. Safety Mark Rubin tackled Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor and forced a fumble recovered by linebacker NaVorro Bowman. Backup quarterback Pat Devlin, in for an injured Daryll Clark, scored on a quarterback sneak for the only touchdown of the game.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, October 25: Ohio State
After Kevin Kelly's second field goal, the Buckeyes last drive was ended with an interception by cornerback Lydell Sargeant at the goal line, Pryor's second turnover of the game. The Buckeyes were limited to their lowest point total in Ohio Stadium since 1982, and the Nittany Lions were charged with zero penalties.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, October 25: Ohio State
Clark completed 12 of 20 passes for 121 yards before leaving. Devlin only attempted one pass, which drew a pass interference flag. Evan Royster had 77 yards on 19 carries. The Nittany Lions defense held the Buckeyes running game in check, holding Pryor to six yards on nine attempts, and Chris "Beanie" Wells to 55 yards on 22 carries. Rubin led the defense with a career-high eleven tackles and the forced fumble, and Bowman had ten tackles and the fumble recovery.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, October 25: Ohio State
Rubin's forced fumble was voted the week's Pontiac Game Changing Performance with an overwhelming 53 percent of the total votes, and Rubin was named the Walter Camp Football Foundation Defensive Player of the Week and the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Week. The team was named the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week by the Football Writers Association of America.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, October 25: Ohio State
Kelly's two field goals moved him into a first place tie for made field goals (72) in Big Ten history.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, October 25: Ohio State
The win earned the seventh-largest regular season primetime audience ever on ABC. It was the second-highest of the 2008 college football season, drawing a larger audience than Game 3 of the 2008 World Series played on the same evening. Despite being an away game, thousands of Penn State students and fans rioted in the streets of State College following the game.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, November 8: Iowa
Penn State was handed their only loss of the regular season when Iowa kicked a 31-yard field goal with :01 remaining to win the game, 24–23. Iowa began their game-winning drive at their own 15-yard line following a Tyler Sash interception of a Daryll Clark pass. It was only Clark's third interception of the year.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, November 8: Iowa
Derrick Williams was a multidimensional threat: taking several direct snaps from a variant of the Wildcat formation, rushing for 53 yards and a touchdown on twelve carries, and completing his first career pass (23 yards to tight end Mickey Shuler). Running back Evan Royster picked up 90 yards and a touchdown on a career-high twenty-six carries, becoming the 12th Nittany Lion to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. Receiver Deon Butler had three catches, moving him into a tie with Bobby Engram for the career receptions leader at Penn State (167). Kevin Kelly set the Big Ten record for career field goals with his 24-yarder in the first quarter, topping Mike Nugent's previous record of 72. Kelly has kicked field goals in a school-record 30 consecutive games.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, November 8: Iowa
Penn State's defense limited the Iowa offense to 272 yards and forced two turnovers but allowed the Hawkeyes to drive 41 yards and into field goal range on the game's final drive, aided by an Anthony Scirrotto pass interference call on 3rd-and-15.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, November 15: Indiana
Penn State overcame a sluggish first half to preserve their perfect record over the Hoosiers with a 34–7 victory. The Nittany Lions overcame three Daryll Clark turnovers, who threw for 240 yards and two touchdowns. Receiver Deon Butler had five receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown, becoming Penn State's career receptions leader with 172, passing Bobby Engram (167). Derrick Williams accumulated 164 all-purpose yards, the second-highest total of his career. Williams ran for a career-high 61 yards on four carries, including a career-long 36-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. His 39-yard touchdown catch was his longest career reception.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, November 15: Indiana
The defense held Indiana to 180 yards of total offense and only six first downs, the fewest Penn State has ever allowed in a Big Ten game. Linebacker Josh Hull led all tacklers with seven, including his first career sack. The only points allowed came on a Marcus Thigpen 57-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter to tie the game 7–7. Kevin Kelly later kicked a field goal to give the Lions a 10–7 lead at halftime. In the second half, the Nittany Lions defense would only give up 36 yards and one first down.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, November 22: Michigan State
On Senior Day, the Nittany Lions clinched a Rose Bowl BCS bid and a share of the Big Ten championship with a 49–18 victory over the Spartans. In snowy weather conditions, Daryll Clark threw for career-highs of 341 yards and four touchdowns. The offensive line, led by seniors A. Q. Shipley, Gerald Cadogan, Mike Lucian and Rich Ohrnberger, and senior fullback Dan Lawlor paved the way for Penn State's 557 yards of total offense. Senior receiver Jordan Norwood had five receptions for a career-high 127 yards. Fellow senior Deon Butler tallied 133 yards on three receptions, all resulting in touchdowns.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, November 22: Michigan State
Entering the game, Spartans running back Javon Ringer was third in the NCAA in rushing averaging 140.7 yards per game, but the Penn State defense held Ringer to a season-low 42 yards. Senior Mark Rubin led all Penn State tacklers with eight. Senior defensive backs Lydell Sargeant and Anthony Scirrotto each had one interception, with Scirrotto's leading to a Derrick Williams 32-yard touchdown on the next offensive play.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, November 22: Michigan State
The win was the 800th in Penn State history. The Nittany Lions are the sixth school to reach 800 wins, joining Michigan (872), Notre Dame (830), Texas (830), Nebraska (815) and Ohio State (808).


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, November 22: Michigan State
Clark was named the Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, January 1, 2009: USC (Rose Bowl)
For the first time since 2004, the Big Ten and Pac-10 champs met in the Rose Bowl. During the years in between, one or the other was in the BCS national championship. However, the last time USC and Penn State met in a bowl game, Penn State was still an independent.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, January 1, 2009: USC (Rose Bowl)
After a close first quarter, USC scored 24 unanswered second quarter points en route to a 31–7 halftime lead. A possible fumble in Penn State's favor was negated by an offsides penalty and Stephon Green's fumble just before halftime led to the final USC touchdown. The second half was more in Penn State's favor. USC continued their pass-heavy gameplan, but Penn State adjusted and was able to outscore USC 17–7 in the second half. Penn State cut the lead to 38–24 with 4 and 1/2 minutes left, but their first attempt to cut further into the lead was immediately intercepted. However, USC's next punt went sailing over the punter and Penn State recovered, giving Penn State the ball at the USC 14, but it was also intercepted. With the loss, Penn State moved to 1–2 in Rose Bowls and 1–1 under Joe Paterno.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Game summaries, January 1, 2009: USC (Rose Bowl)
After taking over for an injured Evan Royster in the second quarter, backup tailback Stephfon Green finished with 57 yards on 10 carries and was the Nittany Lions' leading receiver with five catches for 67 yards. Green left the game in the fourth quarter after sustaining what appeared to be a sprained right ankle. However, tests conducted after the team returned home revealed that Green sustained broken bones in his right leg and ankle and would require surgery to help repair the bones. Green is expected out of action for up to three months.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Post season
Penn State finished the season ranked number 8 in both the final AP and Coaches college football polls, earning Penn State its 22nd Top 10 finish under Joe Paterno. It's the 34th final top 25 ranking under Paterno.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Post season
Penn State finished second in football attendance for the sixth time this decade and in the top four for the 18th consecutive year, averaging 108,254 for seven home games, including crowds of 110,017 on homecoming to watch Penn State host Michigan, the fourth-largest in Beaver Stadium history, and 109,845  to watch Penn State beat Michigan State and clinch the Big Ten title, the seventh-largest in Beaver Stadium history.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Post season
In December, backup quarterback Pat Devlin decided to transfer from Penn State and would not play in the Rose Bowl. Devlin appeared in ten games for the Nittany Lions, passing for 459 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. Devlin later committed to Delaware, a Division I FCS school, where he will have two years of eligibility left.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Post season
In January, redshirt sophomore defensive end Aaron Maybin announced that he was skipping his final two seasons of eligibility and declared for the 2009 NFL Draft. Junior defensive end Maurice Evans, despite losing his starting position and playing time to Maybin due to a three-game suspension for marijuana possession, also declared for the draft.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Post season
After the Rose Bowl, defensive line coach Larry Johnson, Sr. interviewed with Illinois head coach Ron Zook to become the Illini's defensive coordinator. While many anticipated Johnson to take the job, in the end Johnson decided to stay at his current position at Penn State.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Post season
Eight players were invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, held February 18–24 in Indianapolis: Deon Butler, Gerald Cadogan, Maurice Evans, Aaron Maybin, Jordan Norwood, Lydell Sargeant, A. Q. Shipley and Derrick Williams.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Post season, NFL draft
Five Penn State players were selected in the 2009 NFL Draft.


2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Post season, NFL draft
Along with the five players selected in the 2009 NFL Draft, nine other players have signed with NFL teams.


2008 Pennsylvania Attorney General election
The Pennsylvania Attorney General election of 2008 was held on November 4, 2008. The primary election was held on April 22. As of 2021, this is the last time a Republican was elected Attorney General of Pennsylvania.


2008 Pennsylvania Attorney General election, Candidates
Incumbent Republican Tom Corbett of Shaler Township was unopposed in the Republican Party, as he ran for a second term. Democrat John Morganelli of Bethlehem also was unopposed; the Northampton County District Attorney had been defeated in his party's primary for this position in both 2000 and 2004. Morganelli attempted to cast himself as a conservative Democrat, and he has shown a strong opposition to illegal immigration; he has testified on this issue before the United States House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims. Libertarian Marakay Rogers, who also ran for governor in 2006 was the third candidate in the field.


2008 Pennsylvania Attorney General election, Result
On November 4, 2008, Tom Corbett won the Pennsylvania State Attorney General position in the general election.


2008 Pennsylvania Auditor General election
The Pennsylvania Auditor General Election, 2008 was held on Election Day. Incumbent Democrat Jack Wagner of Pittsburgh was unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Republican Chet Beiler, a construction executive from Penn Township, Lancaster County, was also unopposed for the Republican nomination after primary opponent Chris Walsh withdrew from the race, citing problems with his nomination petitions. Wagner had previously served as a State Senator, while Beiler had no prior political experience, but was a manufacturing executive.


2008 Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary
The 2008 Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary was held on April 22 by the Pennsylvania Department of State in which voters chose their preference for the Democratic Party's candidate for the 2008 United States presidential election. Voters also chose the Pennsylvania Democratic Party's candidates for various state and local offices. The selected candidates will be placed on the ballot of the 2008 General Election on November 4. The Democratic primary was part of a General Primary that also included the 2008 Pennsylvania Republican presidential primary.


2008 Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary
The Democratic primary was open to registered Democrats only. Polls opened at 7am and closed at 8pm. Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were the only candidates on the ballot for President of the United States. The primary was considered to be a "must win" for Clinton, who defeated Obama, but by a smaller margin than hoped for.


2008 Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary, Delegate breakdown
The Pennsylvania Democratic Party sent a total of 187 delegates to the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Of those delegates, 158 were pledged, and 29 were unpledged. All of the 158 pledged delegates were allocated (pledged) to vote for a particular candidate at the National Convention according to the results of the Pennsylvania Presidential Primary. The 29 unpledged delegates were popularly called "superdelegates" because their vote represented their personal decisions, whereas the regular delegates' votes represented the collective decision of many voters. The superdelegates were free to vote for any candidate at the National Convention and were selected by the Pennsylvania Democratic Party's officials.


2008 Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary, Delegate breakdown
The 158 pledged delegates were further divided into 103 district delegates and 55 statewide delegates. The 103 district delegates were divided among Pennsylvania's 19 Congressional Districts and were allocated to the presidential candidates based on the primary results in each district. The 55 statewide delegates were divided into 35 at-large delegates and 20 Party Leaders and Elected Officials (abbreviated PLEOs). They were allocated to the presidential candidates based on the preference of the delegates at the State Committee meeting on June 7.


2008 Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary, Delegate breakdown
Of the 29 unpledged delegates, 26 were selected in advance and 3 were selected at the State Committee meeting. The delegates selected in advance were 13 Democratic National Committee members, the 11 Democratic U.S. Representatives from Pennsylvania, Democratic U.S. Senator Bob Casey Jr., and Democratic Governor Ed Rendell.


2008 Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary, Importance of Pennsylvania
The primary was the first time since 1976 that Pennsylvania played a major role in a presidential nomination.


2008 Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary, Importance of Pennsylvania, Importance of Pennsylvania for Clinton
As the race continued to Pennsylvania, Indiana, and North Carolina, many observers had concluded that Clinton had little chance to overcome Obama's lead in pledged delegates.


2008 Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary, Importance of Pennsylvania, Importance of Pennsylvania for Clinton
Former President Bill Clinton highlighted the importance of the state for the Clinton campaign saying on March 11 at an event in Western Pennsylvania that "If she wins a big, big victory in Pennsylvania, I think it'll give her a real big boost going into the next primaries... I think she's got to win a big victory in Pennsylvania. I think if she does, she can be nominated, but it's up to you."


2008 Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary, Importance of Pennsylvania, Importance of Pennsylvania for Clinton
This was a repetition of his tactic before March 4, warning supporters that his wife might not be able to continue if she did not win Ohio and Texas. Hillary Clinton emphasized that Pennsylvania was something of a home state for her, as her father came from Scranton, Pennsylvania, she and her brothers were christened there and had vacationed near there each summer, and her brothers still maintained the family cottage near there.


2008 Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary, Importance of Pennsylvania, Importance of Pennsylvania to Obama
On March 18, 2008 Barack Obama chose Philadelphia as the site to deliver his much-anticipated "A More Perfect Union" speech dealing with the race and the controversy surrounding his pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright.


2008 Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary, Campaign, Obama's "Road to Change" bus tour
Obama started a 6-day "Road to Change" bus tour across Pennsylvania, with stops in Pittsburgh, Johnstown, Altoona, State College, Harrisburg


2008 Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary, Campaign, Obama's "Road to Change" bus tour
On March 28, Obama started the bus tour with a rally in Pittsburgh's Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall. Obama was introduced and endorsed by Senator Bob Casey Jr., who had indicated earlier that he would remain neutral in the democratic primary.


2008 Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary, Campaign, Obama's "Road to Change" bus tour
Casey traveled to Florida over the Easter holiday, where he said rain forced him to stay inside and think about the election. Obama's ability to "transcend" the racial divide and his ability to engage younger voters proved decisive to his decision. According to sources, Casey's four daughters lobbied their dad to endorse Obama.


2008 Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary, Campaign, Obama's "Road to Change" bus tour
On March 29, the Obama bus tour stopped at the Pleasant Valley Recreation Center in Altoona, where he famously bowled a 37. Both Obama and Senator Casey (who rolled a score of 71) lost to local homemaker Roxanne Hart, who rolled a score of 82. On April Fool's Day, Senator Clinton jokingly challenged Obama to a "bowl-off," with the winner taking all the delegates.


2008 Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary, Controversy
On April 11, 2008, The Huffington Post blogger Mayhill Fowler, a self-admitted Barack Obama supporter, reported that during an April 6 "closed press" fundraising event in San Francisco, California, Obama recounted the obstacles facing his campaign in the Pennsylvania primary as it pertained to rural, white voters. Fowler wrote that during the speech, Obama said the following:


2008 Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary, Controversy
You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them... And they fell through the Clinton Administration, and the Bush Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.


2008 Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary, Controversy
Fowler later posted a three-minute, 30-second audio snippet confirming the accuracy of the remark. Senators Clinton and John McCain both issued statements condemning the remarks. Obama later defended his comments, but conceded: "I didn't say it as well as I should have." However, he also added: "I said something that everybody knows is true." Obama had addressed similar themes of guns, religion, and economics in 2004 during an interview with Charlie Rose.


2008 Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary, Final week
On the last Friday before the primary, Senator Obama spoke on Independence Mall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to a crowd of more than 35,000, the largest audience yet drawn by either candidate during the campaign. The crowd was nearly twice what had been projected and spilled over into nearby streets. The next day, Obama conducted a whistle stop train tour from Philadelphia to Harrisburg, drawing a crowd of 6,000 at a stop in Wynnewood and 3,000 at a stop in Paoli. On Monday, Sen. Obama held the final events of his Pennsylvania campaign in Scranton, McKeesport and at the University of Pittsburgh's Petersen Events Center.


2008 Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary, Final week
The Saturday before the primary, Senator Clinton spoke in five Pennsylvania cities, including West Chester and York, Pennsylvania. More than 300 people showed up at the West Chester firehouse to hear the New York Senator speak. At the Wilson high gymnasium in West Lawn, Pennsylvania, Clinton told several hundred more supporters: "The job of a leader is to bring people together to solve problems . . . to understand that sometimes we have to fight to get the political will and the votes to make that happen". On Monday, April 21, Senator Clinton along with husband Bill Clinton spoke to a crowd of 6,000 in Downtown Pittsburgh. Other events were held Monday in Scranton, Harrisburg, and Philadelphia. Both candidates refused to participate in the political custom of street money.


2008 Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary, Polls
Public opinion polling from early January 2007 through mid-February 2008 consistently gave Hillary Clinton a double digit lead over Barack Obama. By the beginning of April, polls of Pennsylvanians showed Obama trailing Clinton by an average of 5 points. According to 2 polls taken one day before the primary, Hillary Clinton was leading Barack Obama by 49%-42% and 51%-41%. Other polls showed Clinton leading by an average of about 6%.


2008 Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary, Polls
Some superdelegates also announced their preferred candidates before the primary. As of April 30, 16 superdelegates had announced support for Senator Clinton and 5 had announced support for Senator Obama.


2008 Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary, Results
In the end, Hillary Clinton won the primary by 9.28 percentage points, a wider margin than expected than recent polls suggested, but smaller than most January and February polls. Despite her victory, she gained only nine delegates on Obama. In particular superdelegates were not swinging in her direction after her win; the Clintons had been trying to secure the support of Congressman Jason Altmire but he remained uncommitted after she won his district by 31 percentage points during the primary.


2008 Pennsylvania House of Representatives election
The 2008 Elections for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives were held on November 4, 2008, with all districts being contested. Necessary primary elections were held on April 22, 2008. The term of office for those elected in 2008 will run from January 6, 2009 until November 2010. State Representatives are elected for two-year terms, with the entire House of Representatives up for a vote every two years.


2008 Pennsylvania Republican presidential primary
The 2008 Pennsylvania Republican presidential primary was an election held on April 22 by the Pennsylvania Department of State in which voters chose their preference for the Republican Party's candidate for the 2008 United States presidential election. Voters also chose the Pennsylvania Republican Party's candidates for various state and local offices. The selected candidates were placed on the ballot of the 2008 General Election on November 4, 2008. The Republican primary was part of a General Primary that also included the 2008 Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary.


2008 Pennsylvania Republican presidential primary
Polls opened at 7:00 am and closed at 8:00 pm. John McCain was the winner. He had already been declared the presumptive Republican Presidential nominee, having secured enough delegate votes in earlier primary contests to win the nomination at the 2008 Republican National Convention.


2008 Pennsylvania Republican presidential primary, Campaigning
Unlike on the Democratic side, little campaigning took place as John McCain had already clinched the nomination. Outsider candidate Ron Paul made several stops in the state, including his birthplace of Pittsburgh.


2008 Pennsylvania Republican presidential primary, Results
Some media sources noted that Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee combined took in around 220,000 votes (about 27% of the vote total), despite McCain's status as presumptive nominee and the statistical irrelevance of Pennsylvania, as a possible sign of continuing social conservative or libertarian unease with McCain's nomination and have speculated about whether these results could potentially affect McCain in the November general election. Although some strategists disputed this theory, pointing to low turnout among McCain supporters and arguing that primary results would not necessarily affect the result in November.


2008 Pennsylvania Senate election
Elections for the Pennsylvania State Senate were held on November 4, 2008, with odd-numbered districts being contested. Republicans had a net gain of 1 seat for the 2008 elections, expanding their majority to 30-20. State Senators are elected for four-year terms, with half of the Senate seats up for a vote every two years. The term of office for those elected in 2008 will run from December 1, 2008 until December 1, 2012. Necessary primary elections were held on April 22, 2008.


2008 Pennsylvania Senate election, General Elections
1 Senator Rhoades died prior to the election but remained on the ballot. As he was posthumously re-elected, his seat will be filled by a special election.


2008 Pennsylvania State Treasurer election
Pennsylvania's election for Treasurer was held on November 4, 2008. Democratic incumbent Treasurer Robin Wiessmann had been appointed by Governor Ed Rendell to fill Bob Casey Jr.'s term when he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006; Wiessman's appointment included the condition that she would not run for election in 2008.


2008 Pennsylvania State Treasurer election, Candidates
Four candidates sought the Democratic nomination for the office: John Cordisco, an attorney and former State Representative from New Hope; Rob McCord, a venture capitalist from Lower Merion; Dennis Morrison-Wesley, an investment banker from Harrisburg; and Jennifer Mann, a State Representative from Allentown  McCord won the primary by a fair margin and faced Tom Ellis in the general election on November 4, 2008; the Republican Ellis, a Montgomery County Commissioner, was unopposed for the nomination.


2008 Pennsylvania State Treasurer election, Candidates
McCord had no prior record in elected office, but worked at the beginning of his career on Capitol Hill, specializing in "budget and regulatory issues." McCord worked more recently as a financial advisor and venture capitalist; his website claims that, during his career, he managed $1 billion in assets and has indirectly worked to create more than 1,900 jobs in Pennsylvania. McCord's opponents, especially Cordisco, have accused him of a lack of financial transparency and of risking conflicts of interest were he to become Treasurer.


2008 Pennsylvania elections
Pennsylvania's state elections were held on November 4, 2008. Necessary primary elections were held on April 22.


2008 Pennsylvania elections
All 203 seats of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 25 seats of the Pennsylvania Senate, as well as the offices of Pennsylvania Treasurer, Pennsylvania Auditor General, and Pennsylvania Attorney General were up for election.


2008 Pennsylvania elections, Presidential Primary, Democratic Primary
Pennsylvania's Democratic Primary to award the state's 158 pledged delegates took place on April 22, 2008. Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton were the only 2 Democratic candidates on the ballot.


2008 Pennsylvania elections, Presidential Primary, Democratic Primary
According to official results from the primary, Clinton won 54.6% of the vote, and Obama took the remaining 45.4%.


2008 Pennsylvania elections, Presidential Primary, Republican Primary
John McCain had already secured the majority of delegates for the Republican Party nomination, and captured 73% of Republican votes in the Pennsylvania primary. Republican turn-out was low, perhaps due in part to Republicans switching their registration to vote for Hillary Clinton and extend her candidacy as part of "Operation Chaos".


2008 Pennsylvania elections, Statewide Ballot Referendums
The ballot question asked the voters to authorize the issuance of $400,000,000 in bonds for the "acquisition, repair, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, extension, expansion and improvement" of sewage treatment facilities and water supply systems. The money raised would be dispensed by the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority. The measure passed with a healthy statewide margin and had a gained a majority in 64 of 67 counties.


2008 Pep Boys Auto 500
The 2008 Pep Boys Auto 500, is the thirty-third race of the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season and the third to the last race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Pep Boys Auto 500 was held on October 26 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. ABC will carry the race beginning at 1 PM US EDT and Performance Racing Network along with Sirius Satellite Radio will have radio coverage starting at that same time. This race will be the last at this track in the current Chase format as they will swap this date for the Labor Day weekend date as a night race with Auto Club Speedway, and the Southern California track assuming the Chase date for 2009.


2008 Pep Boys Auto 500, Qualifying
Failed to make race as qualifying was canceled due to rain: Joey Logano (#02), Bryan Clauson (#40). NOTE: The #08 car, to have been driven by Johnny Sauter was withdrawn earlier in the week.


2008 Pepsi 500
The 2008 Pepsi 500 was the twenty-fifth race of the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season and the next-to-last race to determine the twelve drivers to compete in the 2008 Chase for the Sprint Cup. The 500 miles (800 km) race was held on Sunday night, August 31 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. ESPN carried the race beginning at 7 PM US EDT and MRN along with Sirius Satellite Radio having radio coverage starting at 7:15 PM US EDT. This year marked the final time that this race would be run on Labor Day Weekend. In 2009, this race will move into the current spot occupied to Talladega Superspeedway as part of the NASCAR 2009 realignment.


2008 Pepsi 500, Qualifying
Jimmie Johnson took the top position for the fourth time this season and 17th in his career, and A. J. Allmendinger closed fast to take the other front row spot, edging Johnson's Hendrick teammate, Jeff Gordon.


2008 Pepsi 500, Race
A caution came out early in the race due to debris when one of the track's caution lights fell onto the track itself. Another caution came out on lap 43 when Kurt Busch spun due to tire tread separation on his left rear tire. The fourth caution came out when Joe Nemechek over corrected  for over steer and hit the wall. The fifth caution came out around lap 102 due to debris on the track. The sixth caution on 160 was also due debris that was from a small piece of another caution light falling on the track.


2008 Pepsi 500, Race
The seventh caution came out with 70 laps to go due to Robby Gordon spinning out. The eighth caution came out due to Marcos Ambrose's car hitting a wall, after which Jimmie Johnson won the race, leading 228 of 250 laps. Three drivers - Johnson, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Jeff Burton - all locked up spots in the 2008 Chase for the Sprint Cup. Greg Biffle, who finished second, also all but wrapped up a spot in the Chase as well, and all he'll have to do is qualify his car and start in Richmond next week.


2008 Pepsi 500, Race
Polesitter Johnson dominated, leading 238 out of 250 laps to score his 36th victory at the venue where he scored his first just more than six years prior.


2008 Pepsi 500, Race
Post-race temperatures got as low as 61.9 °F (16.6 °C); a radical shift from the high temperatures witnessed prior to the race.


2008 Permatang Pauh by-election
A by-election was held for the Dewan Rakyat parliamentary seat of Permatang Pauh on 26 August 2008 with nomination day on 16 August 2008. The seat of Permatang Pauh in the Dewan Rakyat, fell vacant after the resignation of the incumbent, Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, on 31 July 2008. Wan Azizah was the Leader of the Opposition as well as the President of the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), a component party of the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition. The by-election was contested by the PR candidate former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. This election has been dubbed "the mother of all by-elections" by the media due to the potentially significant implication of the election as well as the high profile of Anwar Ibrahim.


2008 Permatang Pauh by-election
Anwar won the election and was sworn into Parliament on 28 August 2008, vowing to topple the government with the help of defectors from Barisan Nasional.


2008 Permatang Pauh by-election, Background of the by-election
On 27 July 2008, Anwar said that he aimed to return to parliament for the first time in a decade later that year if a court ordered a by-election near his home town. The seat mentioned would probably be Kulim-Bandar Baharu constituency next to his hometown of Permatang Pauh in Penang. Anwar Ibrahim on 31 July 2008 said he would contest a by-election for the parliamentary seat of Permatang Pauh vacated by his wife to expedite his return to political office. His wife Wan Azizah said she handed her letter of resignation to the parliament speaker on Thursday 31 July.


2008 Permatang Pauh by-election, Background of the by-election
Party officials said the by-election must be held within 60 days. The Election Commission (EC) had fixed the nomination day for the Permatang Pauh by-election on 16 August, with polling to be held ten days later on 26 August. Some 58,459 voters in the Permatang Pauh constituency would be eligible to vote on 26 August, a working Tuesday, adding that the figure also include 490 postal voters.


2008 Permatang Pauh by-election, Background of the by-election
Anwar Ibrahim was charged on 7 August 2008 for sodomy under Section 377B of the Penal Code, fueling speculations over a possible conspiracy on the part of the Malaysian government to derail his election campaign.


2008 Permatang Pauh by-election, Background of Permatang Pauh
Parliamentary seat P.44 Permatang Pauh lies in the federal state of Penang. In the 2008 election, Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail of the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (a component party of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition), garnered 30,338 votes, defeating Firdaus Ismail of the United Malay National Organization (UMNO) (a component party of the Barisan Nasional coalition) (16,950 votes) .


2008 Permatang Pauh by-election, Nominations
Ibrahim said: "Barisan Nasional is clearly overwhelmed. It's no longer a by-election. It's more than that." Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak admitted the ruling party was the underdog: "It is going to be an uphill task but nothing is impossible in politics."


2008 Permatang Pauh by-election, By-election results
Early results indicated a landslide victory for Anwar. Reuters reported "Anwar Ibrahim has won with a majority of 16,210 votes. According to news website : Anwar won 26,646 votes, while the government's Arif Omar won 10,436 votes. Anwar's People's Justice Party spokeswoman Ginie Lim told BBC: "We won already. We are far ahead."


2008 Permatang Pauh by-election, By-election results
Malaysia's government and ruling coalition declared defeat in a landslide victory in by-election by Anwar Ibrahim. Muhammad Muhammad Taib, information chief of the United Malays National Organisation which leads the Barisan Nasional coalition stated: "Yes of course we have lost . . . we were the underdogs going into this race.“ Malaysia's Election Commission officials announced Anwar won by an astounding majority against Arif Shah Omar Shah of United Malays National Organisation.


2008 Permatang Pauh by-election, By-election results
Final results announced by the Election Commission reveals Anwar Ibrahim won 31,195 of the estimated 47,000 votes cast in the district in the northern state of Penang, while rival Arif Shah Omar Shah got only 15,524 votes and a third candidate had 92 votes.


2008 Peru oil scandal
The 2008 Peru oil scandal started after a Peruvian TV station broadcast an audio tape of an alleged conversation between a government official and a lobbyist agreeing to help a firm win contracts. The speakers were allegedly Alberto Quimper, an executive in Petroperú, the state company in charge of promoting foreign investment in the petroleum sector, and a prominent lobbyist and politician member of the Apra party Rómulo León Alegría discussing payments to help the Norwegian company Discover Petroleum win contracts. This was followed by street protests led by workers, teachers, builders and doctors for the resignation of the Council of Ministers. The scandal led to the resignation of Prime Minister Jorge del Castillo and the appointment of a new cabinet headed by Yehude Simon.


2008 Peru oil scandal, Tape
On October 5, 2008, TV news magazine Cuarto Poder broadcast alleged audio recordings of Alberto Quimper, vice-president of Petroperú, and Rómulo León Alegría, a lobbyist and prominent member of the APRA, the party that was currently in office. In the tape, they discussed secretive $10,000 monthly payments to Quimper, León and Ernesto Arias-Schreiber, the legal representative of the company Discover in Peru, in exchange for steering lucrative petroleum contracts to explore offshore oil blocks and gas fields in Peru Discover's way.


2008 Peru oil scandal, Consequences
Thousands of workers, including teachers, builders and doctors protested in Peru calling for the resignation of the government. On October 10, 2008, Prime Minister Jorge del Castillo submitted resignation of his cabinet to president Alan García. A new cabinet led by 61-year-old Yehude Simon was sworn in on October 14, 2008. He had been the president of the Lambayeque Region and is from outside the ruling party.


2008 Peru oil scandal, Consequences
On February 16, 2016, a Peruvian court acquitted Rómulo León, former Petroperu president César Gutiérrez, former Perupetro president Daniel Saba, former Discover Petroleum director Jostein Kjerstad and six other defendants in the case. Meanwhile, Peru's statutes of limitations exonerated Alberto Quimper when he turned 75 years old.


2008 Peruvian Segunda División
The 2008 season of the Segunda División Peruana season was the 63rd edition of the second tier of Federación Peruana de Futbol. There were 10 teams in play. Only 7 teams from last season remain. Sport Águila, from the 2007 Copa Perú, was promoted to this season's edition, and Total Clean and Deportivo Municipal were relegated from the first division. Unión Huaral was not relegated last season but they dropped out and participated in the Copa Perú. Each team will play 27 games. The teams will first play home-and-away games.


2008 Peruvian Segunda División
The teams will then play each other for a third time. The team that will play at home is going to be determined by the results of the first two games: the one with the better aggregate will play at home. The winner and runner-up of this season will be promoted to the Peruvian First Division. The team that finishes last will be relegated to the 2009 Copa Perú. The promoted teams will be replaced by the third and fourth place teams of the Copa Perú.


2008 Peshawar bombings, September 2008 Peshawar bombing
The September 2008 Peshawar bombing was a bombing that occurred on 6 September 2008, in the outskirts of Peshawar, North West Frontier Province, Pakistan. A suicide bomber blew up at a police checkpoint, killing 35 and injuring 70. The explosives-packed pick-up truck blasted a crater 3-foot-deep (0.91 m) crater and caused some buildings in a nearby market to collapse, leading to frantic rescue efforts.


2008 Peshawar bombings, December 2008 Peshawar bombing
The December 2008 Peshawar bombing was a bombing that occurred on 5 December 2008 in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, killing 29 people and injuring over 100 others. Local police chief Naveed Khan suggested that chemicals intended to increase the spread of fire were contained in the bomb.


2008 Peshawar bombings, December 2008 Peshawar bombing
The attack destroyed a hotel and a mosque, and set fire to several shops.


2008 Peshawar bombings, December 2008 Peshawar bombing, Background
The incidents took place while people were shopping for the Eid al-Adha festival, which starts on 9 December 2008, and it took place on the same day as another attack in the country, which killed six people. This attack took place in the area south of Peshawar.


2008 Peshawar bombings, December 2008 Peshawar bombing, Background
During the weeks before the attack Sunni Muslim groups of militants launched attacks on the minority Shi'ite population, with this attack being located near a community centre for Shi'ites.


2008 Peshawar bombings, December 2008 Peshawar bombing, Reaction
Asif Ali Zardari, the President of Pakistan, strongly condemned the attacks, and said that the perpetrators of the attacks will be found and brought to justice, and expressed his condolences to the families of the dead.


2008 Peshawar bombings, December 2008 Peshawar bombing, Reaction
He also stated, in response to the attacks, that his country was committed to fighting terrorism. The Pakistani military strengthened its operations against the Taliban and al-Qaida, who are blamed for the attacks.


2008 Petit Le Mans
The 2008 Petit Le Mans powered by the Totally New Mazda6 was the eleventh running of the Petit Le Mans and the tenth round of the 2008 American Le Mans Series season. It took place at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, United States of America on October 4, 2008. This race marked the first time that the American Le Mans Series awarded victors in their Green Challenge, in preparation for a full championship in the 2009 season.


2008 Petit Le Mans, Report, Qualifying
On Friday afternoon before Saturday's race, qualifying was held in two 25-minute sessions. The two GT categories ran first, led by the lone GT1 entries of Corvette Racing. Halfway through the session, it was Johnny O'Connell's #3 Corvette which achieved the fastest time before the squad ended the session early. In GT2, much of the battle was between the various Porsche and Ferrari teams. The Porsche of Farnbacher-Loles and the Ferrari of European entrant JMB Racing led early, but Jaime Melo in the Risi Competizione was able to give Ferrari the pole position by a margin of 0.057 seconds. Marc Goossens' LG Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette was the fastest qualifier not in a Ferrari or Porsche, completing the session in seventh.


2008 Petit Le Mans, Report, Qualifying
After a short break, the two Le Mans Prototype classes began their qualification session. After six minutes, Allan McNish in the Audi R10 TDI claimed overall pole position. Although Peugeot closed the gap on the Audi, McNish eventually returned to the pits to end his session. As McNish exited the car, Stéphane Sarrazin was able to better the Audi's time by 0.085 seconds and claim overall pole position for the race. In the LMP2 category, returning Penske Porsche driver Ryan Briscoe led the class early. He was eventually joined by his two Penske teammates, giving the team a lock on the top three qualifying positions in the class. Andretti Green Racing's Acura followed the Porsche trio.


2008 Petit Le Mans, Report, Qualifying
Previous qualifying records for all four classes were broken in these two sessions. The top six overall qualifiers, the Peugeot, two Audis, and three Penske Porsches were also able to break an absolute track qualifying record initially set by Davy Jones in a Jaguar XJR-9 in 1992. Sarrazin's Peugeot bettered the Jaguar's record lap by approximately 2.5 mph (4.0 km/h) in average speed.


2008 Petit Le Mans, Report, Qualifying, Qualifying result
Pole position winners in each class are marked in bold.


2008 Petit Le Mans, Report, Qualifying, Qualifying result
† - The #73 Tafel Racing was penalized due to a rule infraction during a pit stop in qualifying. The car was therefore moved to the back of the starting grid.


2008 Petit Le Mans, Report, Race
Just twenty minutes short of the ten-hour limit, the #1 Audi of Allan McNish completed the 1,000-mile (1,600 km) endurance just 4.5 seconds ahead of the #07 Peugeot of Christian Klien. The second Audi finished the overall podium, also on the lead lap. In LMP2, rookie Petit Le Mans entrant Hélio Castroneves led the trio of Penske Porsches past the checkered flag, locking out the podium. Porsches finished in five of the top six positions in the LMP2 class, joined only by the de Ferran Acura in fifth.


2008 Petit Le Mans, Report, Race
After earlier mechanical problems with the #4 Corvette, its #3 teammate led to victory in the GT1 class unchallenged. The GT2 class was won by a Ferrari for the first time in the event's history, the #62 car of Risi Competizione leading the marque. It was followed by several seconds by the championship-leading Flying Lizard Porsche.


2008 Petit Le Mans, Report, Race
In the first ever Green Challenge, Penske Racing and Corvette Racing won in their respective categories. The #6 car was the most efficient of the LMP cars, while the already victorious #3 Corvette was also the most efficient amongst GTs.


2008 Petit Le Mans, Report, Race, Race result
Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 70% of winner's distance marked as Not Classified (NC).


2008 Philadelphia Barrage season
The Philadelphia Barrage played their eighth season, as a charter member of the MLL (originally known as the Bridgeport Barrage), during the 2008 season of Major League Lacrosse. The Barrage ended up in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 7-5. The Barrage qualified for the MLL Playoffs for the fourth time in franchise history. The Barrage lost to the Rattlers 16-15 in OT in the MLL Semifinals at Harvard Stadium on August 23, 2008.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 2008 Philadelphia Eagles season was the franchise's 76th season in the National Football League, and the tenth under head coach Andy Reid. The Eagles improved upon their 8–8 record and a fourth-place finish in the NFC East in the 2007 season by going 9–6–1 and earning the 6th seed in the NFC Playoffs. The team lost in the Conference Championship game.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season
Despite their low-seeding in the NFC playoffs, Football Outsiders calculated that the 2008 Eagles were the best team in the league, play-for-play.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 2006 Eagles were mentioned in the novel, but the 2008 Eagles were in the film adaptation of Silver Linings Playbook.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Offseason
Though the Eagles finished the  2007 season strong, winning their final three games, they finished 8–8 and in last place in a tough division. In the off-season, the Eagles made noise by signing star cornerback Asante Samuel from the New England Patriots on February 29, 2008, the first day that he became available. Samuel, signed to a six-year, $57 million contract, was considered the top player available in free agency, and was Philadelphia's biggest signing since Terrell Owens in 2004.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Offseason
The Eagles also signed defensive end Chris Clemons, and gave him a sizable signing bonus, but he struggled with injuries in the preseason, and barely made the team. Oft-injured defensive lineman Jevon Kearse returned to the Tennessee Titans and Takeo Spikes was released, with a young corps of linebackers ready to replace him. Tight end L.J. Smith, who has battled injury, was given a franchise tag to keep him in Philadelphia.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Offseason
In the draft, the Eagles traded down again, lining themselves up with two first-round picks in 2009. Training camp and the preseason were mixed with good news and bad news. On the negative side, All-Pro guard Shawn Andrews had a late-start to the preseason because of a personal battle with depression. Cornerback Lito Sheppard now looked like a third wheel in the secondary behind Samuel and Sheldon Brown, and vented his frustration. A contract dispute with star running back Brian Westbrook also looked to be another distraction until the team signed him to a three-year, $21 million extension.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Offseason
Philadelphia's biggest issue was the weak receiving corps. In the spring, the team was unsuccessful in acquiring a big name receiver, and the situation was exacerbated when number one receiver Kevin Curtis went down with a sports hernia in the preseason, while number two receiver Reggie Brown nursed a sore hamstring. No moves were made to fix the problem, and many experts considered the Eagles too weak at the position to go deep into the playoffs.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Offseason
However, 5'10 second round draft pick DeSean Jackson had a great preseason, and was named as a Week 1 starter for the Eagles at receiver. Quarterback Donovan McNabb also had a strong preseason, and finally looked fully recovered from his 2006 knee surgery. The rebuilt special teams unit impressed in the preseason, with draft picks Jackson and Quintin Demps returning a punt and a kick respectively for touchdowns in an exhibition win over the Patriots.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Offseason
The offense went into the season with Westbrook in his prime and a seemingly rejuvenated McNabb, but the receiving corps looked feeble, and the offensive line looked uncertain, with the aging tackles Jon Runyan and Tra Thomas anchoring the unit, and Shawn Andrews not playing until the middle of the preseason. The defense featured the deepest secondary in the NFL with Samuel, Brown, Sheppard, and veteran safety Brian Dawkins. The linebacking corps looked young and quick, and Trent Cole was the clear star on the defensive line. Possibly the most key improvement in the team over 2007 lies in the special teams, which was a consistent weakness the previous season.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 1: vs. St. Louis Rams
The Eagles raced out of the gates to dismantle the St. Louis Rams 38–3, their largest opening week margin-of-victory ever. Rookie DeSean Jackson pulled down a 47-yard reception on the second play, and the drive finished with a shovel pass touchdown to Brian Westbrook. Donovan McNabb marched the Eagles down the field again on their second possession, finding L.J. Smith in the back of the end zone to make it 14–0. Late in the second quarter, receiver Hank Baskett beat the coverage and scored on a 90-yard reception (which was also McNabb's second longest career TD pass).


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 1: vs. St. Louis Rams
Fullback Tony Hunt scored from a yard out in the third quarter. DeSean Jackson's 60-yard punt return set up a short field goal for David Akers, and Philadelphia's lead grew to 31–0. Westbrook added a 6-yard rushing touchdown early in the fourth quarter before St. Louis kicked a field goal to avoid the shutout. McNabb threw for 361 yards and three scores. Jackson, Greg Lewis, and Baskett each had over 100 yards receiving. Westbrook ran for 91 yards and two touchdowns


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 1: vs. St. Louis Rams
With the win, the Eagles began their season at 1–0.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 2: at Dallas Cowboys
The Eagles went toe-to-toe with their hated rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, on MNF in the teams' final meeting at Texas Stadium. The game would be high-scoring – filled with exciting plays and seven lead changes. On their opening drive, Philadelphia scored first with kicker David Akers nailing a 34-yard field goal. The Cowboys struck right back with Tony Romo completing a 72-yard touchdown pass to Terrell Owens, who badly beat the Eagles' secondary. Donovan McNabb drove the Eagles' into Dallas territory again, but again settled for a field goal.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 2: at Dallas Cowboys
Dallas immediately answered when rookie Felix Jones returned the kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown and a 14–6 Cowboy advantage. Asante Samuel intercepted Romo on Dallas' next drive, leading to a 6-yard touchdown reception by Brian Westbrook early in the second quarter. Romo fumbled in his own end zone on the first play of the ensuing drive and linebacker Chris Gocong recovered for the touchdown and a 20–14 Eagle lead. However, the Cowboys would respond with Romo and Owens hooking up with each other again on a 4-yard TD pass.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 2: at Dallas Cowboys
The Eagles took over and McNabb connected with rookie DeSean Jackson on a 60-yard play, but his premature celebration cost him what would have been his first career touchdown (as well as a pass-for-touchdown by McNabb). Nevertheless, Westbrook scored on the resulting 1st and goal from the 1-yard line, diving over the pile to put Philadelphia back on top. Akers nailed a 22-yard field goal and Philadelphia had its biggest lead of the night, 30–21. Dallas would end the explosive half with kicker Nick Folk making a 51-yard field goal.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 2: at Dallas Cowboys
In the third quarter, the Cowboys went ahead again as Romo completed a 17-yard touchdown pass to running back Marion Barber. In the fourth quarter, the Eagles would once again retake the lead, at 37–31, with Westbrook's 1-yard touchdown run. Nick Folk's 47-yard field goal made it 37–34 Philadelphia. The critical turnover occurred when McNabb botched a handoff to Westbrook at the Cowboy 33-yard line that Dallas recovered. Romo led his team down the field and Barber rushed it in to the right side, giving Dallas the winning margin at 41–37.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 2: at Dallas Cowboys
Needing a touchdown, Philadelphia had two more possessions, but failed to score. McNabb threw for 281 yards and a score, while Romo had 312 passing yards and three touchdowns. Westbrook found the end zone three times while gaining 103 all-purpose yards. DeSean Jackson again had over 100 receiving yards. The game featured the second most first half points in MNF history (54) and most combined points in the rivalry's history (78). With the loss, the Eagles fell to 1–1.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 3: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
After a turnover, the Steelers scored the first points on a Jeff Reed 37-yard field goal. Brian Westbrook left the game with an ankle injury early in the second quarter, but Correll Buckhalter finished the drive with a 20-yard touchdown catch. The touchdown was the 176th for Donovan McNabb, surpassing Ron Jaworski on the franchise list. The Philadelphia defense began to take over at this point, sacking Roethlisberger six times in the quarter. A fumble recovery by Brodrick Bunkley after a sack led to a David Akers field goal.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 3: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh would end the half with Reed kicking a 53-yard field goal to make it 10–6. Without Westbrook, the Eagles' offense struggled to score, but the defense continued to shut down the Steelers. An intentional grounding penalty on Roethlisberger from his own end zone resulted in a safety. A diving sack and fumble recovery by Brian Dawkins led to a field goal and sealed the win, giving the Eagles a 15–6 lead. The defense sacked Roethlisberger and Byron Leftwich nine times, forced two fumbles, and intercepted a pass. Punter Sav Rocca also contributed to the second-half shutout with his punts. The Eagles improved to 2–1 with the win.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 4: at Chicago Bears
Without Brian Westbrook, but coming off their dominant defensive performance over the Steelers, the Eagles flew to Soldier Field for a Week 4 Sunday night duel with the Chicago Bears.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 4: at Chicago Bears
The Bears started quickly, forcing a three-and-out, then scoring on three passing plays. DeSean Jackson was responsible for gaining 66 of the 74 yards traveled on the next drive, including a 22-yard touchdown reception from Donovan McNabb to tie the score. Kyle Orton passed to Marty Booker for a 23-yard touchdown to make it 14–7 Chicago in the second quarter, but the Eagles came right back with a quick drive ending in Correll Buckhalter scoring from a yard out. After a missed 50-yard field goal by David Akers, the Bears used the short field to set up a 20-yard touchdown pass to Devin Hester.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 4: at Chicago Bears
Akers missed another field goal in the third quarter before making two short kicks that came after Kyle Orton fumbled. Robbie Gould booted a 41-yard kick to make it 24–20 Bears in the fourth quarter.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 4: at Chicago Bears
McNabb then took the Eagles down the field, and with 5:40 left to play, Philadelphia had 1st-and-goal from the 4-yard line. Buckhalter got to the 1-yard line on first down, but he and Tony Hunt failed to score on second and third down. Andy Reid went for it on fourth down and Buckhalter was stuffed for no gain. The Bears killed most of the clock on their next drive and the Eagles fell 24–20. McNabb threw for 262 yards. Reggie Brown had 6 catches for 79 yards. The loss made the Eagles 2–2.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 5: vs. Washington Redskins
The Eagles dropped a divisional matchup to a Washington Redskins team that was coming off an upset win over the Dallas Cowboys. Philadelphia enjoyed a fast start, with Donovan McNabb marching the Eagles on a 12-play opening drive, ending with a 9-yard touchdown by Brian Westbrook. After a Washington three-and-out, DeSean Jackson reversed the field andreturned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown to give Philadelphia a 14–0 advantage. After a 50-yard field goal miss by David Akers on Philadelphia's next drive, the Redskins began their comeback.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 5: vs. Washington Redskins
They chipped away at the lead with three second-quarter field goals by Shaun Suisham. In the third quarter, Washington took the lead on a trick play, with receiver Antwaan Randle El completing an 18-yard touchdown pass to tight end Chris Cooley. Clinton Portis scored on a 4-yard run for Washington, making it 23–14. Midway through the final quarter, the Eagles had 2nd and 1 from the Washington 2-yard line, but were forced to settle for a field goal. A successful fourth down conversion by Portis ended the game. The Philadelphia running defense gave up 203 yards, 144 of them to Portis. Westbrook learned after the game that he had broken his ribs during the first quarter. With the loss, Philadelphia fell to 2–3 in the NFC East.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 6: at San Francisco 49ers
Playing without several offensive starters, the Eagles pulled out a 40–26 win with a gutsy fourth quarter comeback against the San Francisco 49ers. Following a 49ers field goal, the Eagles capitalized on a big kickoff return by Quintin Demps to eventually score on a Correll Buckhalter 1-yard run. San Francisco kicked another field goal to close to 7–6, but Donovan McNabb connected with Hank Baskett on a 2-yard fade pass for a touchdown early in the second quarter.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 6: at San Francisco 49ers
A chip shot field goal by David Akers gave Philadelphia a 17–6 lead, but 49ers kicker Joe Nedney made a 53-yarder on the next drive to make it 17–9. Just before halftime, Akers attempted a long 54-yard attempt, but the kick was blocked and returned for a touchdown by San Francisco. On their first drive of the third quarter, the 49ers drove down the field and took the lead 23–17 on a 6-yard run by Frank Gore. Nedney added another field goal and it was 26–17 49ers going into the fourth quarter.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 6: at San Francisco 49ers
McNabb led the Eagles on a scoring drive, finding tight end L.J. Smith in the middle of the endzone for the touchdown. The Philadelphia defense began to smother the San Francisco attack, and the Eagles got the ball back and retook the lead on a 38-yard Akers field goal. An interception by safety Quintin Mikell led to another Philadelphia field goal, making it 30–26. A fumble recovery by defensive lineman Chris Clemons resulted in another Akers field goal. With Philadelphia up by seven points, Juqua Parker intercepted San Francisco's J. T. O'Sullivan and returned it for a touchdown. McNabb threw for a pair of touchdowns and 279 yards. Buckhalter had a huge game, rushing for 97 yards and a touchdown, and catching seven passes for 89 yards. DeSean Jackson added 94 receiving yards. With the win, the Eagles entered their bye week at 3–3.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 8: vs Atlanta Falcons
The Eagles improved to 10–0 after the bye under Andy Reid with a 27–14 victory over the 4–2 Atlanta Falcons. The Eagles offense struggled to get into a rhythm through the first quarter and a half, with Donovan McNabb misfiring on several passes. Atlanta scored first with a 55-yard catch and run from Matt Ryan to Roddy White. The Eagles tied the score when McNabb capped off a long drive with a 3-yard quarterback draw for a touchdown. Philadelphia drove down the field and scored on a 36-yard David Akers field goal in just 45 seconds before halftime.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 8: vs Atlanta Falcons
The Eagles continued to roll on their opening possession of the third quarter, scoring on a 16-yard run by Brian Westbrook to open up a 17–7 lead. Atlanta drove to the Philadelphia 1-yard line in the third quarter, but Lito Sheppard intercepted a fade to the end zone. In the fourth quarter, Philadelphia's offense failed to capitalize on yet another goal line situation, and instead settled for a field goal, giving Atlanta hope. The Falcons responded with an impressive drive that ended in a touchdown pass to Roddy White, making it 20–14.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 8: vs Atlanta Falcons
The Eagles went three and out and punted, but the officials ruled the punt was muffed by Adam Jennings and recovered by the Eagles. Atlanta, out of timeouts, could not challenge the controversial call, and two plays later Westbrook broke a 39-yard touchdown to the left side to put the game away. Westbrook rushed for 167 yards and two touchdowns and had 42 receiving yards. McNabb had 253 passing yards and also ran for 25 yards. The win was the 100th of Reid's career and the 500th in the history of the franchise.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 9: at Seattle Seahawks
Philadelphia shook off a shaky start and cruised to a 26–7 victory over a banged-up Seattle Seahawks team. Seattle scored on their first play from scrimmage on a 90-yard reception by Koren Robinson, but did not threaten the rest of the game. Robinson beat Lito Sheppard and Brian Dawkins missed the tackle as the Seahawks jumped out to a 7–0 lead. Donovan McNabb had another ugly start, firing incompletions on his first seven pass attempts. However, in the second quarter, the Eagles began to move the ball and McNabb found Reggie Brown for a 22-yard touchdown.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 9: at Seattle Seahawks
On the next drive, with first and goal, the Eagles ran a play-action fake and McNabb threw it to offensive guard Todd Herremans (who was lined up as a tight end) for a 1-yard touchdown and a 14–7 lead. Philadelphia's next four drives led to David Akers field goals as they sailed to a 26–7 win. The Eagles' defense forced Seattle to punt on their final ten possessions and Darren Howard had two sacks. McNabb finished with 349 yards passing, two touchdowns, and an interception. Backup tight end Brent Celek had the game of his life – finishing with six catches and 131 receiving yards.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 10: vs. New York Giants
The Eagles, who had not won on prime time in two years, faced off against the defending Super Bowl champion   New York Giants on a Sunday night game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mike Patterson batted up and intercepted Eli Manning, returning the ball inside the New York 10-yard line. Two plays later DeSean Jackson took the direct snap and rushed 9 yards, diving to the pylon for a touchdown less than two minutes into the game. Manning then led the Giants up the field and he found Plaxico Burress for a 17-yard touchdown.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 10: vs. New York Giants
The Eagles fumbled the kickoff, and New York cashed in for a field goal. On New York's next drive, Manning capped off another long drive with a short touchdown pass to Kevin Boss to take a 17–7 lead early in the second quarter. A fumble by Giant rusher Brandon Jacobs gave Philadelphia the ball in New York territory. Six plays later, Donovan McNabb completed a 10-yard pass to Jason Avant for an Eagle touchdown. Sam Madison picked off McNabb deep in Eagle territory on the next drive, but the Giants settled for a field goal to make it 20–14.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 10: vs. New York Giants
McNabb ran the two-minute drill before the half to get the Eagles a 29-yard field goal before halftime, narrowing the score to 20–17. After a good kickoff return by rookie Quintin Demps, the Eagles navigated the short field for another touchdown, this one a fade to Hank Baskett and a 24–20 Philadelphia lead. The Giants, continuing to have success with their ground game, drove down the field. On a critical 3rd-and-10 from the Eagle 20-yard line, Manning completed a 17-yard pass to Boss, but was flagged for crossing the line of scrimmage.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 10: vs. New York Giants
Giants' coach Tom Coughlin challenged the call, and it was reversed, giving New York 1st-and-goal. They scored when Jacobs powered forward on a 3-yard run. Another long Giant drive led to a field goal early in the fourth quarter making it 30–24 Giants. The Giants scored again on their next drive, a 3-yard rush by Jacobs. Andy Reid challenged consecutive plays at the end of the drive, but lost both of them, leaving the Eagles with only one timeout, 9:30 left to play, and a 36–24 deficit (after New York missed on the two-point conversion).


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 10: vs. New York Giants
A 32-yard completion to DeSean Jackson jump-started the offense, and McNabb hit Kevin Curtis for a 2-yard touchdown on fourth down to keep Philadelphia alive. The Eagles got the ball back with 3:14 left, but could not convert on a 4th-and-1 near midfield to lose the game 36–31. McNabb had three touchdown passes, but Brian Westbrook was limited to just 26 yards on 13 carries. Jacobs rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns for the Giants. The Eagles fell to 5–4, 0–3 in their division.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 11: at Cincinnati Bengals
The Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals played to a controversial 13–13 tie. Donovan McNabb turned the ball over on a sack at the end of the first quarter, leading to a Bengal field goal. A 44-yard catch and run by Correll Buckhalter set up a 42-yard David Akers field goal to tie the score early in the second quarter. McNabb was picked off in Bengal territory with less than two minutes left in the half, and Cincinnati scored four plays later on a 26-yard touchdown reception by T. J. Houshmandzadeh.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 11: at Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals added another field goal early in the third quarter to take a 13–3 lead. Hank Baskett came up with a 57-yard completion, followed by a 4-yard touchdown reception by L.J. Smith to make it 13–10. In the fourth quarter, Philadelphia tied the game on a field goal after a 13-play drive. The offenses struggled throughout the rest of regulation and the game went to overtime. The Eagles won the toss, but the Bengals had the field position advantage throughout most of overtime. Nevertheless, neither team could score.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 11: at Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals had a chance to win on 47-yard field goal attempt by Shayne Graham, but the kick went wide right and the game ended in a tie. McNabb passed for 338 yards and a touchdown, but had three interceptions (all in Cincinnati territory) and a lost fumble. The defense registered eight sacks. This was the first game in the NFL to end in a tie since the 2002 Falcons-Steelers game. It was also played 11 years to the day since the Eagles' last tie game. At the post-game press conference, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb infamously admitted he didn't know NFL games could end in a tie.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 11: at Cincinnati Bengals
With the tie, the Eagles fell to 5–4–1, putting them back into last place in the NFC East.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 12: at Baltimore Ravens
The Eagles faced off with the Baltimore Ravens in an interconference matchup. Both defenses dominated the first quarter, and in the second quarter, Baltimore forced three turnovers (two interceptions and a fumble) from Donovan McNabb. Ravens kicker Matt Stover booted a 44-yard field goal, while quarterback Joe Flacco completed a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Daniel Wilcox. However, rookie  Quintin Demps returned the following kickoff 100 yards for a Philadelphia touchdown to make it 10–7 Ravens at halftime.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 12: at Baltimore Ravens
Andy Reid decided to bench McNabb (who was 8-for-18 for 59 yards and two interceptions) and put backup quarterback Kevin Kolb into the game. Kolb also struggled with the Baltimore defense, and the Eagles fell behind 12–7 when linebacker Jameel McClain blocked Sav Rocca's punt into the back of the endzone for a safety. In the fourth, the Ravens kicked another field goal after a Kolb interception, then Mark Clayton took a short slant 53 yards for a touchdown to make it 22–7.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 12: at Baltimore Ravens
Kolb drove Philadelphia to the Raven 1-yard line, but was intercepted in the end zone by Ed Reed, who returned the ball an NFL-record 108 yards for the touchdown. Le'Ron McClain added a 1-yard touchdown run as Baltimore won 36–7. Kolb was 10-for-23 for 73 yards and two interceptions, and Brian Westbrook had 39 yards rushing on 14 carries. The Eagles dropped to 5–5–1.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 13: vs. Arizona Cardinals
Andy Reid waited until Monday afternoon to name Donovan McNabb as his starter for a Thanksgiving Day matchup with the Arizona Cardinals. On the opening drive, the Eagles marched down the field and scored on 5-yard touchdown pass up the middle to Brian Westbrook  After Joselio Hanson intercepted Kurt Warner, the Eagles scored again on four runs to Westbrook, the final one being a 1-yard burst up the middle. In the second quarter, the Eagles increased their lead to 21–0 when McNabb hooked up with Westbrook again on a 2-yard touchdown pass.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 13: vs. Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals would get on the board with a 1-yard TD pass to Larry Fitzgerald, but Philadelphia closed out the half with kicker David Akers getting a 42-yard field goal. Westbrook scored his fourth touchdown on a 9-yard run in third quarter as Philadelphia made it 31–7. Arizona capitalized on a muffed punt return by DeSean Jackson with a touchdown pass to Steve Breaston (with a failed 2-point conversion). After a Philadelphia field goal, the Cardinals closed to 34–20 when Fitzgerald caught his second touchdown.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 13: vs. Arizona Cardinals
However, the Eagles pulled away for good with McNabb completing short touchdown passes to DeSean Jackson and Jason Avant. With the win, Philadelphia improved to 6–5–1 and returned to the playoff hunt. McNabb was 27-for-39 for 260 yards and four touchdowns, and Westbrook gained 110 yards rushing, scored two touchdowns on the ground, and two more in the air. McNabb and Westbrook were both given NFL Network's 2008 Pudding Pie Award for their efforts.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 14: at New York Giants
After the win over Arizona on Thanksgiving, the Eagles dealt the 11–1 New York Giants a 20–14 loss in a rematch against the defending Super Bowl champions. Philadelphia would close out the first quarter with kicker David Akers getting a 51-yard field goal, then they blocked an attempt by John Carney early in the next quarter. Brian Westbrook broke a 30-yard touchdown run to make it 10–0. Before halftime, Kevin Dockery returned a blocked Akers field goal attempt 71 yards for a New York touchdown. In the scoreless third quarter, the Eagles held the Giants' offense to six plays.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 14: at New York Giants
Philadelphia scored in the fourth when Donovan McNabb found Westbrook, who had beaten the coverage of linebacker Antonio Pierce, for a 40-yard touchdown pass. Westbrook carried the ball 11 times on the next drive, which was capped with Akers making a 34-yard field goal to make it 20–7. Eli Manning completed a 1-yard touchdown to tight end Darcy Johnson for New York to close the scoring. Westbrook had 131 rushing yards on 33 carries and a touchdown, as well as six catches for 72 yards and another touchdown. With the win, Philadelphia improved to 7–5–1. This was also the first time McNabb had beaten the Giants since Philadelphia's 2004 season.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 15: vs. Cleveland Browns
Trying to continue their two-game winning streak and keep their playoff hopes alive, the Eagles hosted the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football. The Eagles scored a touchdown on their opening drive – a 14-yard pass from Donovan McNabb to Kevin Curtis. After trading field goals later in the first quarter, the Eagles took a 17–3 lead when Asante Samuel returned an interception 50 yards for a touchdown.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 15: vs. Cleveland Browns
On the final play of the half, McNabb was intercepted on a fade pass by Brandon McDonald, who returned the ball all the way to inside the Eagle 5-yard line before being forced out of bounds. David Akers converted a 34-yard field goal in the third quarter to make it 20–3 Eagles. Following another Akers field goal, McNabb found Greg Lewis on a 10-yard touchdown pass, increasing the lead to 30–10. Cleveland's sole touchdown came on an interception return by Brandon McDonald off of Eagle second-string quarterback Kevin Kolb. With the win, the Eagle's winning streak increased to three games, and hopes of a playoff berth continued. Their record went to 8–5–1.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 16: at Washington Redskins
The Eagles came out flat and lost 10–3 to the Washington Redskins in a game that was almost a must-win for them (thanks to the losses by the Cowboys and Buccaneeers). After a scoreless first quarter, Redskins kicker Shaun Suisham kicked a 33-yard field goal to send Eagles to halftime with a 3–0 deficit. In the third quarter, Washington cashed in on a fumble recovery deep in Philadelphia territory when running back Clinton Portis scored on a 1-yard touchdown run. The Eagles answered with kicker David Akers nailing a 22-yard field goal to make it 10–3 Washington.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 16: at Washington Redskins
With 3:48 to play, Philadelphia's offense mustered up a late-game drive. After a couple of incomplete passes in the direction of DeSean Jackson, a pair of receptions by Brian Westbrook got the Eagles inside the Washington red zone. However, the rally fell short when a pass to wide receiver Reggie Brown only got to the 1-yard line, as Redskins cornerback Fred Smoot and safety LaRon Landry tackled Brown shy of the goal line, allowing time to run out. The Eagles dropped to 8–6–1, and needed a loss by Tampa Bay, either a loss by Chicago or Minnesota, and a win against Dallas to get into the playoffs. It was thought at the time that the season was over (other than last regular-season game).


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 17: vs. Dallas Cowboys
Losses by the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier in the day gave the Eagles the help they needed and created a situation where the winner between the Eagles and Dallas Cowboys would earn a playoff berth. In the first quarter, the Eagles scored first with a 40-yard field goal from kicker David Akers. The game would soon be tied by Cowboys kicker Nick Folk's 37-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Eagles took control when quarterback Donovan McNabb found Correll Buckhalter for a 59-yard catch-and-run, then snuck the ball up the middle himself for touchdown.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 17: vs. Dallas Cowboys
McNabb completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Buckhalter later in the quarter, then hit tight end Brent Celek for a 1-yard touchdown pass as Philadelphia took a 24–3 lead. A kick return fumble by Pacman Jones with five seconds left in the half allowed the Eagles to close out the half with a David Akers 50-yard field goal. A gadget play where Jason Witten passed 42 yards to Terrell Owens took Dallas into Philadelphia territory, but Brian Dawkins sacked Tony Romo, causing a fumble which was recovered and returned for a touchdown by Chris Clemons.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Regular season, Week 17: vs. Dallas Cowboys
On the Cowboys' next drive, Marion Barber fumbled (Also caused by Dawkins) inside the Eagle 5-yard line, and Joselio Hanson returned the ball 96 yards for a touchdown and it was now 41–3 Eagles. A Chris Clemons sack of Romo caused another fumble, which led to a field goal and 44–3 lead. The Eagles forced five turnovers, Buckhalter had 122 yards from scrimmage, and McNabb had a pair of touchdown passes and one rushing score. Philadelphia ended the regular season at 9–6–1, but more importantly, they had improbably clinched the NFC's #6 seed.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Playoffs, NFC Wild Card: at Minnesota Vikings
Entering the postseason as the NFC's sixth seed, the Eagles began their playoff run at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome against the #3 seeded Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings, coached by Andy Reid protege Brad Childress, finished the season at 10–6 with an NFC North title. Minnesota's defense was ranked #1 in the league against the rush. The offense featured emerging superstar running back Adrian Peterson, but inexperienced Tarvaris Jackson had taken over at quarterback late in the year and would start in the playoffs.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Playoffs, NFC Wild Card: at Minnesota Vikings
In the opening quarter, a 62-yard punt return by DeSean Jackson led to a 43-yard field goal by kicker David Akers. Akers converted from 51 yards at the end of the quarter and the Eagles led 6–0. The Vikings struck in the second quarter when running back Adrian Peterson broke a 40-yard touchdown run to the left, giving Minnesota a 7–6 lead. A 34-yard completion by Donovan McNabb to DeSean Jackson set up another field goal for the Eagles.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Playoffs, NFC Wild Card: at Minnesota Vikings
One minute later, cornerback Asante Samuel returned an interception of Tarvaris Jackson 44 yards return for a touchdown (the 4th of his career, which is the most career postseason TD interception returns in NFL history). Peterson carried it in 3 yards for a touchdown late in the half to make the score 16–14 Eagles.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Playoffs, NFC Wild Card: at Minnesota Vikings
The defenses stiffened in a scoreless third quarter, but the game remained tight. Then, with 6:37 left in the fourth quarter, Brian Westbrook took a screen pass 71 yards for a touchdown to extend Philadelphia's lead to 23–14. Westbrook's play was greatly aided by excellent downfield blocking by the rest of the Eagle offense. The Eagles' recovery of a low shotgun snap to Tarvaris Jackson led to Akers' fourth field goal of the day and a 26–14 lead.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Playoffs, NFC Wild Card: at Minnesota Vikings
Westbrook had 121 yards from scrimmage, as well as a key touchdown. Tight end Brent Celek chipped in with 6 catches for 56 yards, while McNabb threw for 300 yards a touchdown and an interception. With the win, the Eagles improved their overall record to 10–6–1. Also, Philadelphia improved their Wild Card record under head coach Andy Reid to 4–0.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Playoffs, NFC Divisional Round: at New York Giants
Coming off their Wild Card road win over the Vikings, the Eagles took a bus up the NJ Turnpike to Giants Stadium for their NFC Divisional duel with their NFC East rival, the top-seeded/defending champion New York Giants. The Giants had defeated the Eagles 36–31 in Week 10, but the Eagles won 20–14 four weeks later in the Meadowlands. It was the start of a skid for New York where they lost three of their final four games after the loss of receiver Plaxico Burress.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Playoffs, NFC Divisional Round: at New York Giants
Ahmad Bradshaw returned the opening kickoff to the Eagle 35-yard line and the Giants finished the drive with a 22-yard John Carney field goal. On the first play of New York's next drive, Asante Samuel came up with another big playoff interception for the Eagles, returning the ball inside the New York 5-yard line. Donovan McNabb stretched the ball over the plane for a touchdown on a quarterback sneak as Philadelphia took a 7–3 lead.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Playoffs, NFC Divisional Round: at New York Giants
New York punter Jeff Feagles pinned the Eagles deep in their own territory early in the second quarter, and the Giants defense forced McNabb into committing an intentional grounding penalty from his own endzone, giving the Giants a safety. Carney missed from 46 yards on the ensuing New York possession, but he was good from 34 yard on the next possession as New York went ahead 8–7. The Eagles' offense finally got on track on their last possession of the half, driving down the field and getting a 25-yard field goal by David Akers to take a 10–8 lead to the locker room.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Playoffs, NFC Divisional Round: at New York Giants
New York defensive lineman Fred Robbins came up with an interception of McNabb early in the third quarter, and New York retook the lead on a field goal. Philadelphia responded with an impressive drive highlighted by McNabb finding slot receiver Jason Avant for a 21-yard gain on 3rd-and-20 and running back Correll Buckhalter for 19 yards on 3rd-and-10. The drive ended in a short field goal and the Eagles led 13–11. Carney missed a 47-yarder on the next drive, and the Eagles capitalized with a 10-play drive capped with a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Brent Celek.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Playoffs, NFC Divisional Round: at New York Giants
Early in the fourth quarter, on 4th-and-1 from the Giant 44-yard line, Eli Manning was stuffed on a quarterback sneak. On the next drive, the Eagles defensive line stopped Derrick Ward and Brandon Jacobs on third and fourth down. After the ball turned over on downs, McNabb laced a 48-yard bomb to DeSean Jackson. A field goal followed and the Eagles took a 23–11 lead. Quintin Mikell's interception of Manning essentially ended the game.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Playoffs, NFC Divisional Round: at New York Giants
The Eagles had delivered a big upset and now advanced to the NFC Championship against the Arizona Cardinals. McNabb threw for 217 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in windy conditions. Brian Westbrook was held to 36 rushing yards, but DeSean Jackson caught four passes for 84 yards. While Jacobs and Ward combined for 138 yards, Manning struggled in the passing game, throwing two interceptions. With the win, the Eagles improved their overall record to 11–6–1.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Playoffs, NFC Championship: at Arizona Cardinals
Coming off their divisional road win over the top-seeded Giants, the Eagles flew to the University of Phoenix Stadium for the NFC Championship Game against the Arizona Cardinals. On Thanksgiving Night, the Eagles had crushed Arizona 48–20. The Cardinals, who finished 9–7 with losses in four of their last six games, were considered by some experts to be one of the worst playoff teams ever. However, they put together wins over the Atlanta Falcons and the Carolina Panthers behind strong performances by veteran quarterback Kurt Warner and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Playoffs, NFC Championship: at Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals marched down the field after the game's opening kickoff and ended the drive with Kurt Warner's 9-yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald. Donovan McNabb scrambled for 21 yards on Philadelphia's first play, and the drive ended in a 45-yard field goal by David Akers (improving his NFL record for consecutive postseason field goals to 19). Akers missed on the next Eagles' drive, and on Arizona's first play after taking over, Fitzgerald scored on a 62-yard touchdown pass on a trick play to give Arizona a 14–3 second quarter lead. A 47-yard catch and run by Kevin Curtis helped Philadelphia answer with a 33-yard field goal, but the Cardinals would end the half with Warner's 1-yard touchdown pass to Fitzgerald and kicker Neil Rackers' 49-yard field goal to take a commanding 24–6 lead.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Playoffs, NFC Championship: at Arizona Cardinals
The third quarter began with safety Adrian Wilson sacking McNabb on a blitz and Arizona recovering. However, the Eagles' defense held and McNabb began to rally Philadelphia. A 50-yard completion to Curtis jump-started a drive that ended in a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Brent Celek to make it 24–13. The Eagles got the ball right back and scored again on a 31-yard touchdown pass from McNabb to Celek, narrowing the score to 24–19 after a failed PAT by Akers.


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Playoffs, NFC Championship: at Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals punted again, and with 10:45 left in the fourth quarter, McNabb launched a bomb to DeSean Jackson that he bobbled and then hauled in despite the coverage of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. The 62-yard play put Philadelphia ahead 25–24 (after a failed 2-point conversion). The Cardinals began an eight-minute drive (that included a 4th-and-1 conversion) that was capped by an 8-yard touchdown pass to running back Tim Hightower. The successful 2-point conversion by Ben Patrick put Arizona back on top 32–25. The Eagles drove in Arizona territory, but four straight incompletions ended Philadelphia's hopes of a Super Bowl XLIII appearance, as well as an all-Pennsylvania Super Bowl (the Steelers had won the AFC Championship Game over the Ravens later in the day).


2008 Philadelphia Eagles season, Playoffs, NFC Championship: at Arizona Cardinals
With the loss, Philadelphia's season ended with an overall record of 11–7–1. McNabb threw for 375 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Curtis had 122 receiving yards, Jackson had 92 receiving yards, and Celek had 10 catches and two touchdowns. However, Brian Westbrook (71 yards from scrimmage) was a non-factor and the defense forced zero turnovers. Larry Fitzgerald, who eventually set a record for receiving yards in a playoff season, had 152 yards, three touchdowns, and dominated the first half.