COWBOYS QBs compete for No. 2

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (AP) _ Coach Dave Campo wants to set the record straight. The only quarterback competition for the Dallas Cowboys is to determine who's the backup. <br><br>Rookie Quincy Carter

Tuesday, August 7th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (AP) _ Coach Dave Campo wants to set the record straight. The only quarterback competition for the Dallas Cowboys is to determine who's the backup.

Rookie Quincy Carter was impressive in his debut, and Anthony Wright played well despite mistakes by the third-teamers around him in the preseason opener, but Tony Banks remains the starter.

``There is no question in my mind that Tony's our quarterback, and we're going to have a battle for the next spot,'' Campo said Monday. ``The quarterback situation, in our mind, has not changed from that first preseason game. We'll go status quo right now.''

Banks is beginning his sixth season in the NFL, and though he was Trent Dilfer's backup by the time the Baltimore Ravens won last season's Super Bowl, he has 61 career starts.

Wright started twice last year in place of the injured Troy Aikman, the retired future Hall of Famer and three-time Super Bowl winner the Cowboys have to replace.

In the 21-14 loss at Oakland last weekend, Banks was 5-for-9 for 36 yards. Carter, the Cowboys' top pick in April, completed nine of 15 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns, while Banks was 4-for-9 with several drops and 45 yards.

Clint Stoerner didn't play, but Campo wants to get a better look at the second-year quarterback who played just one game for the Cowboys last season and then played in NFL Europe this spring.

``I had fun just being in the atmosphere those touchdowns. I've dreamed all of my life about playing in the NFL ... it was like the Super Bowl to me,'' Carter said. ``I have to keep a level head. It is a tough game to try to conquer in one night. I'll have some ups and downs.

``If I have a bad game, they'll be different questions.''

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has talked excitedly about the debut performance of Carter, who the Cowboys took in the second round _ the 53rd player overall _ with their first pick.

Campo continued Monday trying to temper the situation. While some people think the Cowboys should go with the young quarterback, the coach doesn't think that would be the right move.

``I don't think at this point that we are rebuilding,'' Campo said. ``We feel this football team can win and feel the experience of Tony Banks gives us the best chance to do that.''

Campo said Banks would start Saturday night's preseason game against Denver, but the determination for the rest of the rotation and the amount of playing time for each quarterback won't be made until later this week.