University of North Carolina Athletics
Notes From The Peach Bowl
January 2, 2002 | Football
Jan. 2, 2002
Recap| Final Stats| Photo Gallery
***North Carolina won its fifth consecutive bowl game with a 16-10 victory in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Monday. The Tar Heels are one of only two teams to win their last five bowl games. LSU, who won 47-34 over Illinois in the Sugar Bowl, also has won its last five bowl games. Miami (Fla.) can join that group with a win over Nebraska in the Rose Bowl on Thursday evening. Carolina won the 1995 Carquest Bowl (20-10 vs. Arkansas), the 1997 Gator Bowl (20-13 vs. West Virginia), the 1998 Gator Bowl (42-3 vs. Virginia Tech), the 1998 Las Vegas Bowl (20-13 vs. San Diego State) and the 2001 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (16-10 vs. Auburn).
***The win was Carolina's 12th overall bowl victory. The Tar Heels are now 12-12 all-time in bowl competition.
***North Carolina quarterback Ronald Curry played in two bowl games during his career and was named MVP in each of those games. Curry capped his amazing career with offensive MVP honors in the 2001 Peach Bowl on Monday. As a freshman, he earned MVP honors after his performance in UNC's 20-13 win over San Diego State in the 1998 Las Vegas Bowl.
***Curry is one of three Tar Heels to win two bowl MVP awards along with tailback Ethan Horton (1981 Gator, 1982 Sun) and quarterback Matt Kupec (1977 Liberty and 1979 Gator).
***Curry's 62-yard touchdown run in the 2001 Peach Bowl was the longest run of his career. His previous best was a 48-yard touchdown run in the 1998 Las Vegas Bowl. His longest run in the regular season was a 46-yarder against Georgia Tech in 2000.
***Willie Parker's 131 yards were the most by a Tar Heel in a bowl game since Leon Johnson rushed for a UNC bowl record 195 yards in the 1995 Carquest Bowl. Parker had the fifth-best rushing day in UNC bowl history and it was the 11th time a Tar Heel had rushed for more than 100 yards in a bowl game.
***Carolina's defense held its opponents scoreless in six of the last nine quarters of the season.
