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The 42 Stops to Super Bowl XLII is a series that will feature stories, stats and interesting trivia that you can use to act smart as you prepare for Super Bowl XLII.

In Super Bowl history, as in normal football games, playing with a lead with is ideal.

• In the previous 41 Super Bowls, the team who scores first is 26-15.***
• Teams who have scored 30 points in the game are 21-1. The lone team to lose with that many points is the Dallas Cowboys, who lost Super Bowl XIII to the Steelers.
• Teams that scored the first TD in the game are 30-11.
• Teams leading at halftime are 32-7 (two games were tied at the half).
• Only the 1972 Miami Dolphins won a Super Bowl while being shutout for a half (once in 18 times). They were shut out in the second half of Super Bowl VII by the Redskins, but hung on to win the game.
• The record for most points scored in a Super Bowl is 55 by the Niners in Super Bowl XXIV. That game also saw the largest margin of victory in Super Bowl history (45 points)

***Of course, this stat hasn't been true of late. Only once in the last six Super Bowl has a team scored first and won the game. That was the New England Patriots against the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII.

The Bears scored first in last year's Super Bowl when Devin Hester returned the opening kickoff back for a touchdown, giving Chicago a 7-0 lead (Indianapolis ended up beating them 29-17).

Two years ago, the Seattle Seahawks scored first (a Josh Brown field goal), yet lost the game to the Steelers. Three years ago, the Philadelphia Eagles scored first (a LJ Smith touchdown), yet lost the game to the Patriots. Five years ago, the Oakland Raiders scored first (a SeBas field goal), yet lost the game to the Buccaneers. Six years ago, the St. Louis Rams scored first (a Jeff Wilkins FG), but lost to the Patriots.