Sexton needs to start at QB

This is not 2009. It's 2008. That's why North Carolina coach Butch Davis should start Cameron Sexton at quarterback when the Tar Heels face N.C. State today at noon in Chapel Hill.

Whether Sexton is the best quarterback in the program isn't really the issue at this point. His primary rival, early-season starter T.J. Yates, may be the more complete player and the logical choice to direct what will be an ACC title contender in '09.

But Sexton, a long-suffering redshirt junior, deserves this start and for several reasons:

* The Heels would not be 7-3 overall and in contention for bigger things down the line without Sexton. Having been the team's starting quarterback earlier in his career, Sexton could have transferred when Yates won the starting job in preseason. Most guys in the same situation would have. He stayed. He stood by Carolina. Now, the school should stay with him for at least a while against State.

* Sexton is undefeated at home this season. He wasn't a factor in the Sept. 20 loss to Virginia Tech. He was plenty good enough in ensuing home games against Connecticut, Notre Dame, Boston College and Georgia Tech.

* The 16-13 overtime loss at Virginia on Oct. 18 was not Sexton's fault. Davis and his offensive staff have to take that hit. The offensive calls at Charlottesville came right out of Woody Hayes' long-buried playbook. Graham Harrell himself isn't capable of throwing a touchdown pass when he's under orders to get into field-goal position.

* Sexton loves the big top, and that's not saying Yates doesn't. Both are tough guys, but there's a lot of Ben Bennett's swagger in Sexton. That's not a bad thing. Bennett, at Duke, was the ACC player of the year in 1983. Carolina's last (and only) ACC offensive player of the year as a quarterback was Danny Talbott in 1965 on a team that went 4-6 overall.

* Finally, there's the psychological factor. If Yates starts and struggles, it's impossible to assume that Sexton would enter the game in a positive mind-set as a reliever. More likely, he'd be hesitant to take any sort of chance, having lost his starting job after going 5-2 as the offensive leader.

Davis and John Shoop, the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, have handled a difficult situation well this season. Most teams would not be 7-3 after having lost the starting quarterback, but Sexton deserves as much, or more, credit for getting the team this far.

The Tar Heels now will start the '09 season with two established winners at the position. Some ACC teams don't even have one and, given the never-ending trend of quarterback injuries these days, all teams need two.

If Sexton starts and flops against State, Yates probably would instill much energy in relief. But either way, Carolina is certain of getting a bowl bid. That means Davis, Shoop and the staff will have about a month between the game at Duke and the bowl appearance to sort things out at the position. Yates very well could be the right pick to start against the Blue Devils, in the bowl and at the outset of '09. But for now, benching Sexton would send him, and his offensive teammates, the wrong message.