University of North Carolina Athletics
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SMU
Peach Bowl Bound!!
December 1, 2001 | Football
Dec 1, 2001
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By JOHN MARSHALL
Associated Press Writer
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Willie Parker ran for 82 yards and a touchdown as North Carolina earned a trip to the Peach Bowl in Atlanta with a 19-10 victory over Southern Methodist on Saturday.
North Carolina (7-5) accepted a bid to the Dec. 31 Peach Bowl during a postgame ceremony on the field. It is the Tar Heels' first bowl berth since beating San Diego 20-13 in the 1998 Las Vegas Bowl.
SMU (4-7) failed to reach the five-win mark for the 10th time in 13 seasons. Mike Cavan, who was fired on Nov. 19, finished 22-34 in five seasons with the Mustangs.
North Carolina won seven of nine after an 0-3 start, matching the biggest turnaround in school history, and had its 11th winning season in 12 years. The 1998 team finished 7-5 after an 0-3 start.
SMU struggled for most of the first half - 111 total yards - but needed just 27 seconds of the second to tie it at 7 after Kevin Knight fumbled the opening kickoff. SMU's Justin Williams recovered the ball at the North Carolina 12 and ShanDerrick Charles ran off left tackle for a touchdown on the next play.
The quick touchdown should have given SMU momentum, but it only seemed to snap North Carolina out of its first-half funk.
The Tar Heels managed just 118 total yards in the first half, but had 178 in the third quarter to build a 16-7 lead.
Steve Reed hit a 19-yard field goal to put the Tar Heels up 3, then Willie Parker followed with 2-yard touchdown run on an option with 55 seconds left.
Parker was called for unsportsmanlike conduct for an 'altered stride' after the touchdown - causing North Carolina coach John Bunting to throw his list of plays in the air - and Reed missed the 25-yard extra-point attempt. It was Reed's first miss in 67 career attempts.
SMU pulled to 16-10 on a 20-yard field goal by Jacob Crowley, but North Carolina answered with a 32-yard field goal by Reed on its next drive.
Chelsey Borders scored on a 43-yard pass from Ronald Curry in the first quarter after he slipped behind Kevin Garrett down the right sideline.
SMU reached the North Carolina 24 late in the second quarter, but backed out of field goal range after a holding penalty, a sack and an option that lost a yard. SMU had 111 total yards in the first half.
The game was originally set for Sept. 15, but was rescheduled after the terrorist attacks. It was North Carolina's first regular-season home game in December since 1961.
