High Noon for Evans, Beuerlein? : Raiders: These friends are fighting for the backup quarterback spot. The duel continues against Cowboys tonight.

Tonight, Vince Evans and Steve Beuerlein face off in Round 3 of their summer duel for No. 2 quarterback. This roster isn’t big enough for the two of them.

Too bad it had to come to this, two friends fighting for the same job the way old cowpokes fought for the same girl.

Come the end of training camp, though, one of them must go.

The Raiders will keep three quarterbacks. Two are locks, starter Jay Schroeder and first-round pick Todd Marinovich. It doesn’t take a Ph.D. to figure out the arithmetic.

Evans and Beuerlein have five exhibitions to sort out their differences. Tonight it’s the Raiders against the Dallas Cowboys in a 5 p.m. game televised by ABC from Texas Stadium. Two exhibitions in the battle for No. 2 have produced a draw. Beuerlein took the opener against San Francisco when he rescued the offense in the fourth quarter to lead the Raiders to both of their touchdowns in a 24-17 loss. He completed seven of 12 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown.

Last week in Tokyo, Evans answered with an eight-for-10 passing performance for 112 yards against Miami. He added another 26 yards in two carries.

In practice, Evans has been No. 2 since camp opened. Beuerlein is rooted at No. 3, same as last season when he didn’t take a snap from center in a game all year after finishing 1989 as the team’s starter. A subsequent contract holdout changed Beuerlein’s fortunes, perhaps forever.

This summer, he is clawing his way back up the depth chart.

“The key is to make sure you get a chance to compete and get a fair shot,” Beuerlein said, sizing up the situation. “I think our time has been about the same during games. The repetitions in practice are always a touchy subject, because if you’re No. 3 on the depth chart, you’re not going to get as many reps as No. 2. That’s not an excuse. I have to earn that No. 2 spot.”

Beuerlein, 26, is up against a man 10 years his senior. But Evans, 36, remains an all-pro survivor. He has been left for dead before, most notably in 1985 after the United States Football League folded. Evans played for the Denver Gold.

His career was saved by a labor dispute, in 1987, when NFL players struck against their league. Evans, desperate for work, crossed the picket line and started three replacement games.

Like a cat to a sofa, Evans has been clinging to the Raiders since.

You figure Beuerlein at least has youth on his side. Forget it. Evans might be the best-conditioned Raider. Years ago, he ran miles in soft beach sand to maintain his edge. Now, he has lasted into the age of stair-steppers. Evans is a machine. You could play handball against his stomach.

“There are always younger guys coming up,” Evans said. “They’re in shape. They don’t have to do as much, so you have to do twice as much to keep your game together. I do that.”

What makes the Beuerlein/Evans battle more intriguing is their general like for each other. Kicking sand in the face of an enemy is one thing; putting a friend out of work is another.

Both quarterbacks claim they are able to separate business from friendship.

“When I’m up under the center, I’m not thinking about how Steve is feeling,” Evans said. “I’m at work when I’m out there on the field. When we’re working out, away from the meeting rooms, then we relate in a different way. I’m sure it’s the same for him. When I’m working out there, I’m not thinking about what the other guy is thinking. It’s a war. Even though he’s a teammate, and I respect and like him, I’m trying to keep some food on the table for my children.”

Beuerlein also tries to keep his priorities straight. Sometimes, when he sees Evans across the training camp in off hours, reality sets in.

“Maybe, in the back of my mind I’m thinking, ‘Hey, it’s either me or him,’ ” Beuerlein said. “When you look at it from the standpoint of leaving someone without a job, so to speak, you can let the personal fondness get in the way. But I would not feel guilty if I was the guy they chose. I don’t think he’d feel guilty either. We have a great relationship, we are very good friends. We both understand this is a part of the business. We’re both going for the same spot. That’s just the way it is.”