2007: Auburn 23, Clemson 20 (OT)
Not only did Clemson and Auburn provide a great match-up of two top-25 teams, but the two Tigers gave the Chick-fil-A Bowl its first overtime game ever and an incredible game for the record 11th straight sellout crowd of 74,413. With that attendance, the Chick-fil-A Bowl drew more fans than all other bowls except the BCS National Championship Game and the Rose Bowl. The 74,413 was the third-highest in Chick-fil-A Bowl history.

In the Chick-fil-A Bowl’s 40th anniversary game, #15 Clemson and #22 Auburn played a game of two opposing halves – stout defenses in the first and fast-moving offenses in the second.
In the first quarter, the two Tigers played conservatively and with tough, drive-stopping defenses. A 36-yard field goal by Auburn’s Wes Byrun provided the only points. But Clemson found a little life of its own in the second when star tailback C.J. Spiller broke free for an 83-yard touchdown run. The game-changing rush – the longest in Chick-fil-A Bowl history and the longest of Spiller’s career – gave Clemson a 7-3 lead at the half.

On the first drive of the second half, Auburn answered with a touchdown if its own. A 10-play, 78-yard drive, mixing the run and the pass, ended in a 22-yard reception by tailback Mario Fannin and a 10-7 Auburn lead. 

The third quarter came to an end as Clemson was knocking at the door from the Auburn five-yard line. An 11-play, 37-yard drive that took 5:20 finally ended in a 22-yard Mark Buchholz field goal when Auburn stopped Clemson on six consecutive plays inside the 10 yard line. The score was tied at 10-10. Auburn’s ensuing possession ended with the only turnover of the game, an interception by Clemson’s Crezdon Butler. The change of possession gave Clemson the ball on Auburn’s 32 and the Tigers didn’t wait long to cash in. Clemson’s Cullen Harper found wideout Aaron Kelly for 27 yards to set up a James Davis one-yard plunge to put Clemson back on top 17-10.

After a 30-yard kickoff return by Patrick Lee, quarterback Brandon Cox and Kodi Burns went to work, tallying four first downs on their way to a 70-yard scoring drive that ended in a Ben Tate one-yarder up the middle for the tying touchdown with 8:27 remaining. 

In overtime, Clemson managed only 17 yards on 7 plays before settling for a 25-yard field goal from Buchholz. On Auburn’s possession, Cox hit Rodgeriqus Smith for 12 yards to help set up a Kodi Burns seven-yard TD run off right tackle to end the game in thrilling fashion as the entire Auburn team sprinted for the endzone celebrating the 23-20 victory.
Clemson running back C.J. Spiller was named offensive MVP of the game.  Auburn defensive tackle Pat Sims was named defensive MVP of the game.

Scoring:  AU – Byrum 36-yard field goal.  CU – Spiller 83-yard run (Buchholz kick).  AU – Fannin 22-yard pass from Burns (Byrum kick).  CU – Buchholz 22-yard field goal.  CU – Davis 1-yard run (Buchholz kick).  AU – Tate 1-yard run (Byrum kick).  CU – Buchholz 25-yard field goal.  AU – Burns 7-yard run.

2006: Georgia 31, Virginia Tech 24
In the inaugural Chick-fil-A Bowl, Virginia Tech jumped out to a quick 21-3 halftime lead thanks to two 1-yard touchdown runs by tailback Branden Ore and a trick play in which receiver Eddie Royal hurled a 53-yard pass to tight end Same Wheeler that went for a touchdown. 

The second half, however, was a completely different story. The Bulldogs cut the lead to 21-6 using a 52-yard field goal by Brandon Coutu early in the third quarter. It was then that Georgia’s Mark Richt decided to use a little trickeration of his own with an early on-sides kick, which they recovered.  That possession led to a 6-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to tight end Martrez Miller cutting the Hokies’ lead to 21-13.  In the next quarter and a half, Tech quarterback Sean Glennon turned the ball over four times, three of them leading to 18 UGA points.  Gregg Lumpkin’s 3-yard touchdown run followed by a Stafford to Milner two-point conversion, tied the game. The Bulldogs capitalized on two more VT turnovers via a 28-yard field goal, and a Brannon Southerland one-yarder for a 31-21 lead which secured the largest, second-half come-from-behind victory in Chick-fil-A Bowl history.  The Hokies managed a field goal in the closing minutes of the game, but it wasn’t enough and the SEC had claimed its second straight win against the ACC in Atlanta’s bowl game.  Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford and linebacker Tony Taylor were named offensive and defensive MVPs.

2005: LSU 40, Miami 3
In what was largely considered the best bowl match-up outside the national championship game, the #9 Miami Hurricanes took on the #10 LSU Tigers in the 28th annual Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. 

The ‘Canes came in as favorites – and as defending champs, having beaten Florida in the previous Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl – but LSU had other ideas.  The Bayou Bengals had just been upset by Georgia in the SEC Championship game, and used Atlanta’s bowl game as a way to earn back some respect.  They did.  What unfolded was the most lopsided victory in Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl history and the worst bowl defeat in Miami history: a 40-3 Massacre by LSU.  Backup quarterback Matt Flynn – in for the injured JaMarcus Russell – was the surprise of the night.  Flynn earned <VP honors connecting on 13 of 22 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns.  Halfback Joseph Adai ran for 130 yards and another two TDs to complement the Tigers’ impressive offensive performance.  A very good LSU defense held a very good Hurricanes’ offense in check all night in what was a very one-sided game – vastly different from the close, hard-fought game the Chick-fil-A Bowl is famous for.

2003-04 : Clemson 27, Tennessee 14
Unranked Clemson, who won their last three regular season games by a combined 95 points, stunned sixth-ranked Tennessee in front of 75,125, a Georgia Dome record crowd for a sporting event. Clemson’s little-used Tailback Chad Jasmin ran over the Volunteers for a career-high 130 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown earning him Offensive MVP honors.

Head Coach Tommy Bowden and the Tigers used their hurry-up offense throughout the first half and caught the Vols off-guard when Kyle Browning scored from eight yards on a “fumblerooskie.” Tennessee Quarterback Casey Clausen threw for 384 yards, nine off his career-best, and both touchdowns, but got little help from his running game. Led by Defensive MVP Leroy Hill, Clemson shut down the Vols’ ground attack that managed only 38 yards on 26 carries. Clemson’s Duane Coleman added a TD run and Aaron Hunt kicked two field goals (23, 28), giving the Atlanta Coast Conference its third straight Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl victory.