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Redshirt freshman Mike Paulus will be North Carolina's quarterback this Saturday against Miami UNC coach Butch Davis said Wednesday.

But so will junior Cam Sexton he added.

Following the injury to starter T.J. Yates" both Paulus and Sexton will share quarterbacking duties in a repeat performance of this year's spring practices.

""When T.J. had the surgery in the springtime and wasn't able to go through spring practice" it was just the two of them Davis said.

At the time everybody was bemoaning the fact that T.J. wasn't here but in retrospect looking back" it was probably a little bit of a good thing.

""We got a chance to watch them do things" and the guys in the huddle the other 10 guys" got a chance to have those guys step in the huddle with them.""

The adjustment from a steady signal-caller to an unstable situation has left some Tar Heels uneasy.

""This is like going back to when we started off" tailback Greg Little said. Guys are a lot more tense now rather than loose. And we're kind of getting the feel for both guys" knowing that they're both going to play.""

But the instability also will provide both Paulus and Sexton with the chances to prove that they belong at the helm of an up-and-coming Bowl Championship Subdivision program.

""Mike" this is going to be his first go-around out there so he has to prove what he can do senior wideout Brooks Foster said.

Cam he's got a little experience. T.J. took his job" so he's got to go out there and work hard and try to get his job back. So it should be good — a lot of competition out there between the two.""

Running game must improve

Aside from Little's 50-yard scamper in the third quarter of Saturday's game against Virginia Tech"" UNC has struggled through the season to put together any semblance of a consistent rushing attack.

""It starts up front. We as running backs have to help the linemen out" Little said.

We have to bring defenders to the blocks and then cut off there" and then run to daylight.""

Little compiled 31 yards on his 17 other carries — an average of 1.8 yards per carry.

Shaun Draughn" the second half of UNC's running back tandem rushed five times for 10 yards good for a 2.0 average per carry.

Both also coughed up costly fumbles that led directly to VT scoring drives" which Little attributed to trying to stretch a run for too long.

""It's fighting for the extra yardage" he said. And you have to know when the journey's over" and when you have to get down.""



Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.


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