What did you think of Billy Edwards’ Tar Heel debut?

Fall camp generated a lot of speculation about who might win the QB battle. Many fans got excited about Miles O’Neill’s big arm and recruiting connection to Bobby Petrino via Texas A&M. Others dreamed about Travis Burgess, suggesting the talented freshman reminded them of Lamar Jackson. And others waxed poetic about Billy Ewdards Jr….

Nope. Scratch that. Edwards was viewed by most as a well-worn, dinged-up game manager whose best trait would be avoiding bad plays rather than making big ones. Social media posts comparing Edwards’ stats to Gio Lopez’s (similar in many respects) made the rounds. That was part of the betting dynamic that saw TCU climb to as much as a 9.5 point favorite last week.

Views seem to remain mixed after the game. On the one hand, after a season of watching Freddie Kitchens take a one-read-and-go QB and try to turn him into a NFL pocket passer, any level of coherent offensive play was going to be a sight for sore eyes. Offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino schemed a lot of good looks for Jordan Shipp and Jelani Thurman, who also happened to be two of the best three offensive players on the field (TCU’s Jeremy Payne was fantastic).

ESPN’s stat department perused the tape and came up with this analysis:

Some read those numbers as a negative, confirming Edwards as a game manager who can make the easy plays but not the hard ones. Three of those tightly contested throws were tipped, with a second TCU defender there to maybe intercept it. Fortunately, all three hit the ground.

Others see them as a positive, a QB who connects on the safe throws and doesn’t force things when the defense wins the rep. Edwards didn’t turn the ball over in a game played in a rain storm. One of those 10 contested, for example, was a throw away. Edwards connecting with Thurman for big yards will be a primary memory of that game moving forward.

So, what did you think of Edwards first impression in Carolina Blue?