Billy Edwards Jr. helped lead the UNC football program to a victory in his Tar Heel debut, a hard-fought victory over TCU in Dublin, Ireland.
His sixth and final college season got off to a great start, as he had some very strong moments in his team debut. Battling tough weather conditions, Edwards completed 16 of 28 pass attempts for 232 yards, and while UNC didn't score a touchdown over the final three quarters of play, they did just enough to win the game.
Shortly after the victory, Edwards Jr. was asked about the win, which could be a major momentum boost for a Tar Heels team coming off a disappointing 2025 season. While Edwards Jr. did cite that he "didn't play his best football," he did turn the attention to his teammates and properly shouted them out for their efforts.
Billy Edwards Jr. sings praise of his teammates following big win over TCU
The quarterback of the Tar Heels had this to say about his team's victory on Saturday afternoon.
Billy Edwards Jr on the win: "It feels great ... hats off to the defense. And shoutout to the offensive line."
— InsideCarolina (@InsideCarolina) August 29, 2026
Edwards Jr. made sure to give credit to his guys up front who protected him all game and helped pave the way for the offense throughout. He also made note of the effort by the defense, a unit that gave up just 10 points overall (none after the first quarter), making timely stops (three of which occurred in the red zone) all of which served as major turning points in the game.
While the belief was that both Edwards Jr. and Miles O'Neill would see playing time in the season opener, it was the right decision by Belichick and company to stick with the veteran signal-caller. Combined with Bobby Petrino's offensive scheme, the Tar Heels showed some great signs of improvement offensively, as Edwards Jr. made the right reads, protected the football and helped his team drive down the field on multiple occasions.
Especially with the weather conditions, it wouldn't have made much sense to rotate quarterbacks, especially when the guy who drew the start wasn't doing anything to hurt the team.
UNC's opening drive of the 2026 college football season results in points
In fact, Edwards Jr. is just what this group needs: a veteran guy who has played a lot of college football. He is a guy who can make the plays, put the ball where it needs to be, and, most importantly, protect the football, as those traits are exactly what he showed in his team debut.
You've got to love Edwards Jr.'s mentality, showing what a true leader he is by the quote he put out just following the victory. It was all about the team, giving his guys the credit they deserve while also noting the standards he holds himself to show that, while he's thrilled with the win, he expects to be better moving forward.
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