Best bowl performances by North Carolina Tar Heels players Posted Dec 27, 2023 North Carolina beats Air Force 35-0 in 1963 Gator Bowl - UNC running back Ken Willard ran for 94 yards on 18 carries and scored the opening touchdown in a runaway Gator Bowl victory. UNC beats Arkansas 31-27 in 1981 Gator Bowl - UNC running back Kelvin Bryant rushed for 148 yards and Ethan Horton added 144 to lead the Tar Heels to a 31-27 win. (WRAL Sports Fan)