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Aug. 22, 2002--UD football head coach K.C. Keeler announced Aug. 17 that junior Andy Hall, a first-year transfer from Georgia Tech, will be the starting quarterback for Delaware's season opener Aug. 29 against Georgia Southern.
After that announcement, it was learned that sophomore quarterback Mike Connor, who started the final four games of the 2001 season and was battling with Hall for the No. 1 spot, broke the index finger of his right (throwing) hand during practice and will likely miss at least two weeks, including the opener against Georgia Southern.
"The competition has been close but we felt we had to make the decision now," Keeler said. "We wanted to give the No. 1 quarterback as much practice and repetitions with the first unit as we could. Andy showed slightly more ability, has a quicker release and has a little more seasoned experience. We have a great situation with two great kids. Mike is one of the most respected players on this team, and he has handled the situation well. Mike and Andy work well together, and we have two kids we can win with."
Due to Connor's injury, the backup situation for now is a battle between three true freshmen in Ryan Carty, Brad Michael and Erec Spiese.
"Mike's injury is very disappointing, but we hope he will make a quick recovery and be back soon," Keeler said. "Obviously we are now taking a closer look at the three freshmen and will quickly evaluate who will be the backup."
Hall, a 6-2, 210-pound junior from Cheraw, S.C., begins his first year at Delaware after playing the last two seasons at Georgia Tech. He saw action in 10 games as a backup the past two seasons, hitting on 19 of 43 passes for 299 yards and one touchdown and rushing for 83 yards. Last season, he threw for 262 yards and one touchdown in four games and played in the Seattle Bowl against Stanford.
Connor, a 6-4, 215-pound sophomore from Wallingford, Pa., became the first true freshman in 50 years to play quarterback for the Blue Hens in 2001. He started the final four games of the 2001 season, leading the Blue Hens to a 2-2 record. He threw for 580 yards and one touchdown, including a 205-yard effort in the season finale against Villanova. He entered preseason drills as the No. 1 quarterback.
Carty, a 5-11, 185-pound freshman from Branchburg, N.J., earned first-team All-State honors last fall after throwing for 3,504 yards and a state record 43 touchdowns.
Michael, a 6-4, 190-pound freshman from Apex, N.C., earned all-conference honors last season when he led his team to a 9-3 record while throwing for 1,085 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Spiese, a 6-3, 215-pound freshman from Newark earned first-team All-State honors last fall in leading Newark High School to its fifth straight state title. As a senior, he threw for 1,016 yards and three touchdowns.
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