Anthony Ratliff-Williams' pair of kickoff returns for touchdowns last season continued a positive trend for Larry Fedora's football program in that 16 times during his six seasons at the helm, North Carolina has retuned either a punt or a kickoff for a touchdown. It has occurred in 13 different games, though in three contests it’s happened twice.
UNC’s record in those games is 11-2 with the losses coming on a neutral site to Georgia in 2016 and at home last fall to Louisville. So, the evidence is clear, when the Tar Heels get some of those “game changing plays,” as Fedora calls them, they are usually in good shape to earn a victory.
The touchdown breakdown is 9 punt returns and 7 kickoff returns, and by player it’s: Ryan Switzer 7; T.J. Logan 4; Gio Bernard 2; Anthony Ratliff-Williams 2, Sean Tapley 1.
Here are the returns for TDs:
2012
Elon (UNC win, 62-0) – Gio Bernard 70-yard punt return
Virginia Tech (UNC win, 48-34) – Sean Tapley 94-yard kickoff return
N.C. State (UNC win, 43-35) – Gio Bernard 73-yard punt return
2013
*Virginia (UNC win, 45-14) – Ryan Switzer 85-yard punt return
*At Pittsburgh (UNC win, 34-27) – Ryan Switzer 65-yard punt return AND 50-yard punt return
*Old Dominion (UNC win, 80-20) – Ryan Switzer 64-yard punt return AND T.J. Logan 99-yard kickoff return
*Vs. Cincinnati (UNC win, 39-17) – T.J. Logan 78-yard kickoff return AND Ryan Switzer 86-yard punt return
2014
None
2015
*Illinois (UNC win, 48-14) – Ryan Switzer 85-yard punt return
*Miami (UNC win, 59-21) – Ryan Switzer 78-yard punt return
2016
*Vs. Georgia (UNC loss, 33-24) – T.J. Logan 95-yard kickoff return
*The Citdael (UNC win, 41-7) – T.J. Logan 100-yard kickoff return
2017
*Louisville (UNC loss, 47-35) – Anthony Ratliff-Williams 94-yard kickoff return
*At Pittsburgh (UNC win, 34-31) – Anthony Ratliff-Williams 98-yard kickoff return