After week 1, it was hard to tell if Wisconsin got the better end of the quarterback stick. Colten Joseph was okay but not great while former Badger Billy Edwards Jr. led his team to a victory over TCU. Edwards wasn't amazing, but he did what needed to be done to win. When week 2 rolled around, the results were still mixed for both quarterbacks. Wisconsin fans were starting to wonder if Joseph actually has the juice.
However, it was this week that it became obvious Wisconsin got the better of the two, and it's not even close. Billy Edwards Jr. was miserable against Clemson, going 13 for 30 with one touchdown and one interception. That's not a typo; Edwards literally went 13 for 30.
Joseph went 23 for 33 with three touchdowns, one interception, and also added 46 yards rushing. He was electric, and besides one misthrown, underthrown pass early in the game, he was excellent. It was a day in which Joseph stock's went way up, and Edwards Jr.'s stock crashed.
The North Carolina Tar Heels lost to Clemson 28-20, and Edwards is shouldering a ton of the blame. And to add insult to injury, Edwards had one more chance to march down the field and give his UNC a chance; instead, he sealed the game by throwing an interception with 40 seconds left. It was just a brutal showing by Edwards, and the Tar Heels had every opportunity to win that game, but the former Badger got in the way.
Wisconsin ended up with the perfect quarterback for their offense in 2026 with a good riddance to Billy Edwards Jr.
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It wasn't just the final interception; he simply couldn't find his receivers all day. That 13 for 30 is realistic, as he was sailing his receivers and was unable to find any of his guys. When they were open, he was missing them. It wasn't pretty.
The opposite is true of what Colton Joseph was able to do. Clearly, you can see the stats above, but Joseph found his poise after an early deficit of 7-0. He threw that interception, then came back on the field and never looked back.
The next seven drives by Wisconsin ended up with touchdowns. It wasn't just the big-play touchdowns either, like the 75-yard toss to Chris Brooks Jr. There were also sustained drives by Joseph. Two of those touchdown drives came after 12 plays. That's executing the offense and making the defense work.
It's a good day to be a Badger fan as you watch your former quarterback, who feels like a villain, struggle for their new team, while your current quarterback is soaring. It's a beautiful thing.
Some may say, "Don't blame Edwards" and instead wish him well. However, there are plenty of Badger fans who believe, and even know, that he quit on Wisconsin last year, and there's no love lost among fans for Edwards.
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