Sexton in good shape to keep QB job

A day after injured quarterback T.J. Yates returned to practice in a limited capacity, North Carolina coach Butch Davis made it sound like replacement Cam Sexton is in good shape to keep the starting job.

“Certainly the way that Cam’s playing, barring any unforeseen injury, Cam would continue to be the guy,” Davis said during Wednesday’s ACC coaches’ teleconference.

“As I’ve told players all along, since the day I took the job, the guy that gives us the best chance to win on Saturday, regardless of the position, is the guy that we’re going to play.”

North Carolina is 4-1 with Sexton since Yates suffered a fractured left ankle on Sept. 20 against Virginia Tech. Sexton is 73-for-122 passing for 964 yards with six touchdown passes and three interceptions.

Davis said Yates is still “a ways away” from playing.
Yates participated in some individual drills Tuesday. But the team medical staff still is keeping him out of drills this week that would call for him to scramble around or avoid contact.

Davis said the doctors and staff will judge how Yates handles the activity during this week’s open date before determining whether to give him additional duties next week.

“We have no idea when and if that healthy date is going to be,” Davis said. “Is it two weeks from now? Is it four weeks from now? Certainly Cam right now is playing extremely well. What it does is, it gives us two quarterbacks that our team has confidence to play.”