College Sports News - ACC

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- North Carolina quarterback T.J. Yates has a broken left ankle and is expected to miss at least six weeks.

Coach Butch Davis said Monday that he hasn't settled on a starter for this week's game at Miami. His choices are redshirt freshman Mike Paulus and junior Cameron Sexton, who started five games under ex-coach John Bunting in 2006.

"I don't think that we'll deviate our offense -- you are who you are," Davis said. "We've got 10 other starters back, and we'll do what they do. We'll have to put a quarterback in that can do the things that help those guys be as good as possible."

It puts more pressure on the rest of the offensive players who Davis said "are going to have to make plays and help those two guys."

Yates, a sophomore, was hurt on a sack in the third quarter of last week's 20-17 loss to Virginia Tech. He stayed on the field for one more play, then limped off and didn't return.

He threw for 181 yards and a touchdown, leading the Tar Heels to a 10-3 lead before he was hurt. Initial X-rays didn't show a fracture, and Yates watched the remainder of the game while sitting on a sideline training table. The school said Monday the injury was found during an MRI Sunday evening.

Yates said North Carolina's offense is still good even with him not behind center and he will still be involved with the team.

"I've just got to continue to learn, definitely do as much treatment as I can (while) still getting in the film room," said Yates, who was on crutches with his ankle in a protective boot. "This is not a time for me to sit back and relax. I've got to get better as a football player while I sit on the sidelines."

Yates had surgery on his right, throwing shoulder at the end of last season and missed the Tar Heels' spring workouts. That gave Paulus and Sexton extra work with the first-team offense.

Sexton went 1-4 as a starter in 2006, and has struggled to see the field under Davis. He hasn't thrown a pass since the 2007 opener, completing his only attempt of his sophomore season.

When Yates went down last week, Davis turned to Paulus, and he completed 3-of-8 passes for 23 yards but threw two interceptions.

"Cam and Mike, and all of our quarterbacks sit in the same meetings and they start to understand the culture of our offense," Davis said. "I think Mike and Cam both, they understand that. That's part of the growth and development of any quarterbacks. The better part of valor sometimes is an incomplete pass."