Blue Frustration

When starting QB T.J. Yeats was lost to injury earlier this season, third string QB Cameron Sexton was asked to step in and pick up the slack. Although he seemed to be doing an adequate job in successive games, a bitter loss to conference rival Maryland has opened the door to controversy with a seemingly healthy Yates waiting in the wings. Yates started the season by leading the Tar Heels to wins against McNeese State and Rutgers. He contributed to a second-half lead against the Virginia Tech Hokies when he was injured on a sack. Tar Heel Coach Butch Davis went with red shirt freshman Mike Paulus for the rest of the game in that 20-17 loss, then gave Paulus the start the following week at Miami. Sexton came off the bench in that game with a strong performance, throwing for 242 yards and two touchdowns, including the winning 14-yard score with 46 seconds left in a comeback from a 14-point deficit to beat the Hurricanes 28-24. Sexton has held the job ever since, leading the Tar Heels past Connecticut, Notre Dame, Boston College and Georgia Tech. During that stretch, North Carolina's losses at Virginia and Maryland came by a combined five points. In his six starts, Sexton completed 90 of 162 passes for nine touchdowns and four interceptions. However, Saturday against the Terps he was 10 for 24 with one TD and one interception. He overthrew several receivers, and although at least one pass was dropped, it was considered to be his worst performance of the season. Before that pivotal game, the Tar Heels were 7-3, (3-3 in the ACC) and led the Coastal Division. It now appears unlikely UNC will advance to the ACC Championship Game.

UNC Coach Butch Davis said on Monday the Tar Heels will open the competition for the starting spot against rival North Carolina State. Yates has practiced for about two weeks as he recovers from a broken left ankle he suffered against Virginia Tech in September. Just one day after saying junior Cameron Sexton would remain behind center for the game against N.C. State, Davis said he planned to tell sophomore T.J. Yates to be prepared to start. Davis appeared to change his mind after studying film of the 17-15 loss at Maryland with his staff. "We're going to watch them both practice, put them both in situations and see how the week unfolds before we try to decide who's going to be the quarterback. We're in the situation, now that T.J.'s healthy, [to decide] what is the best choice for our football team? Because ultimately, that's how you have to make decisions for the football team: What is best at that given moment," said Davis. Yates certainly has the edge in terms of game experience. He started all 12 games as a red-shirt freshman last year, throwing for a single-season record 2,655 yards and 14 touchdowns and 18 interceptions despite playing with a shoulder injury. Before this season, Sexton's only significant game action came when he lost four of five starts and threw four touchdowns with eight interceptions as a freshman back in 2006. In the past few weeks as Yates recovered, Davis tried to deflect speculation about a possible quarterback switch by saying Sexton was likely to stay in the starting role. But Yates apparently performed well enough in a workout Sunday to open up the competition.