University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina to Face Auburn in Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
December 9, 2001 | Football
Dec. 9, 2001
AUBURN, Ala. - The ACC vs. SEC Showdown on New Year's Eve is set. The Tigers-Tar Heels match-up was completed when Auburn Athletic Director David Housel today accepted an invitation to represent the Southeastern Conference in the 34th annual Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Dec. 31 in Atlanta.
"This is absolutely the best game we could have asked for," said Gary Stokan, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl president.
The Tigers finished the season 7-4 (5-3, SEC) - tied for first in the SEC West and were ranked as high as No. 17 (Nov.11, AP). Auburn is making its third appearance in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and is 2-0 all-time (1996: defeated Clemson 21-17, 1990: defeated Indiana 27-23).
oth Auburn and North Carolina enter the game with seven wins and 5-3 conference records setting up what could prove to be another chapter in the Bowl's long history of close games. UNC and Auburn each played a tough slate of games this season with strength of schedule rankings of No. 19 and No. 20 respectively.
"They've had a couple of huge wins this year and they've had a couple of tough losses," said UNC head coach John Bunting. "They're a ball club that appears very much like ours."
This year's Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl will feature 2001 Lombardi Award and ednarik Award winner Julius Peppers and a tough Tar Heels team against an equally strong Tiger club led by Jacobs Blocking Trophy winner Kendall Simmons and All-America special teams playmaker Damon Duval.
The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl is the only guaranteed ACC vs. SEC match-up and is recognized as the most competitive bowl game in history with an average margin of victory of 8.8 points. The 2001 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl will be played 7:30 p.m., Dec. 31 in the Georgia Dome and will be nationally televised on ESPN.
