The North Carolina Tar Heels are one win away from clinching bowl eligibility, but will have a tough task to officially qualify for a bowl game when they host the Louisville Cardinals on Saturday.

With three games remaining, the Tar Heels have already surpassed last season's win total. With North Carolina vying for an official spot in postseason play, here are three storylines I'll be watching for when the Tar Heels face the Cardinals in Week 11.

Which Version of Billy Edwards Jr. Will Show Up?

Anyone who has watched the Tar Heels this season will tell you that assessing Edwards Jr.'s play has been frustrating. Every game is a roller coaster ride, as you never know what you're going to see from the veteran signal caller drive to drive. It appeared that the Wisconsin transfer turned a corner in the loss to the Miami Hurricanes, completing 28-of-34 passes for 341 yards and four touchdowns. Carrying over that success into last week's games seemed attainable.

That didn't happen. Edwards Jr.'s final stat line would indicate that the six-year veteran was lights out, but that wasn't the case. He wasn't sharp, especially in the first quarter. Edwards Jr. missed multiple throws in the flat and threw an inexplicable interception.

That's in the rearview mirror now, and the focus is now on Louisville. I don't expect Edwards Jr. to play as he did against Miami, but he should be better than last week. North Carolina's level of success is contingent on Edwards Jr.'s effectiveness as a pocket passer. We'll see what version we get on Saturday night.

Backfield Workload

North Carolina has deployed a three-headed backfield throughout the season. However, it may be time for offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino to consolidate the carries. Benjamin Hall, Demon June, and Jaylen McGill have been evenly splitting the workload all season.

Against UConn, McGill started the game but was replaced by Hall and June, who each proved more effective. Now that Hall appears to be fully healthy, the former Michigan running back could see the lion's share of carries. Against UConn, Hall took nine carries for 81 yards and one touchdown. Does that performance earn him more opportunities in Week 11? It will certainly be something I'll be watching for against Louisville.

How Effective Is the Defense?

The defense had been underwhelming for multiple weeks leading up to last week's contest against the Huskies. During that timeframe, the Tar Heels struggled to generate pressure and force turnovers.

That changed in Week 10, as North Carolina sacked Kalieb Osborne three times and produced three takeaways. For the first time in weeks, the Tar Heels dictated terms defensively. Louisville is definitely a step up in competition. The defensive line needs to be more effective in both phases, especially against the run. If that trend continues, North Carolina will have an uphill battle in this matchup.