Okay, I know what you’re probably thinking here.
How can you give Billy Edwards Jr. player of the game?! He LOST us the game with that fumble!
I’m not disputing that. In fact, I agree. But it also can’t be disputed that Edwards is the reason Carolina was in position to win the game at all. Let’s examine some key pieces of his stat line.
- 341 passing yards: The second-most of his college career and the most Miami has allowed this season
- 4 touchdown passes: A career high and the most any quarterback has thrown in regulation against the Hurricanes this year
- 82.4% completion rate: The highest of his career against an FBS opponent (while throwing more than three passes)
It’s really unfortunate that his sole turnover came at about the worst possible moment; if the same play had happened in the first quarter, it would have gone down as
a slight blemish on a stellar night. Even so, the numbers above represent the level of quarterback production UNC has been looking for since Drake Maye left town.
It’s entirely possible this game was an outlier for Edwards and he’ll soon return to being the mediocre player we’ve come to know him as. Alternatively, if the five-year veteran managed to unlock a new level of performance on Saturday, the final stretch of the season could be a lot of fun.
