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Kyle Flood: Rutgers will decide on QB at halftime of first game

Rutgers' quarterback competition possibly has another added twist.

Hayden Rettig was tapped as the team's starter against Norfolk State when Chris Laviano was suspended for the first half of the game by coach Kyle Flood. However, according to Flood, Rettig's tenure as the team's starter could only last for that first half. Flood said Tuesday that the team would "evaluate" where it is at halftime.

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"Hayden Rettig is the starting quarterback," Flood said via ScarletNation.com. "We're going to evaluate the first half and we'll make a decision at halftime as to how we're going to proceed."

The statement clearly puts the onus on Rettig to perform well against the FCS school, so he better turn those pregame nerves into production. Laviano was suspended for the first half for a violation of team curfew. And it's now not hard to see him stepping in at the start of the second half if Rettig has committed a turnover or two. Or perhaps Flood just doesn't want Rettig to get complacent and think he won the job because of a suspension.

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"It's one of the difficult things for a player who transfers at that early stage," Flood said about Rettig. "You spend a year on a scout team at one place, and then you go to another place and you are still ineligible. So you have to spend another year on the scout team. Hayden is really excited. He's working really hard and I have a lot of confidence in him and so does the football team."

Rettig, a transfer from LSU, won't also have the team's best receiver in the first half either. Leonte Carroo, an All-Big Ten selection in 2014, is also suspended for the first half.

For more Rutgers news, visit ScarletNation.com.

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!