Nov. 3, 1999

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The nation's top-ranked passer, Joe Hamilton, leads Georgia Tech into Charlottesville on Saturday to battle Virginia and the country's most prolific runner, Thomas Jones, in an ACC matchup.

Hamilton leads a potent Yellow Jackets (6-1, 4-1) offense that leads the nation in total offense (517 ypg), is third in scoring (41 ppg) and 13th in rushing (242 ypg).

With 17 touchdown passes and just five interceptions, the senior quarterback tops the country in passing efficiency, but, with a team-leading 467 yards, he is almost equally dangerous on the ground.

After he gains 101 yards of offense this weekend, Hamilton will become the ACC's all-time total offense leader. Shawn Jones currently tops the list with 9,296 yards.

In Tech's last game, a 48-21 win over N.C. State that was their fifth in a row, Hamilton played just three quarters but still passed for 212 yards and three touchdowns, plus ran for another 83.

He will face off against a Cavaliers (4-4, 3-3) team that features Jones, who averages 159 yards per game and has scored at least one rushing touchdown in 18 of his last 20 regular season games.

Virginia dropped a 35-10 decision to top-ranked Florida State last week, but Jones was impressive nonetheless. The senior ran for 164 yards, including a 71-yard scamper that made him the school's all-time rushing leader, breaking Tiki Barber's record of 3,389.

With the loss, the Cavaliers now have no room for error if they are to extend their streak of consecutive seasons with at least seven victories to 13. After Saturday, they have games remaining with Buffalo and Maryland.

Florida State, Michigan and Nebraska are the only other Division I-A programs in the country to have won at least seven games each of the last 12 years. That fact hasn't been lost on coach George Welsh or any of his players.

"We don't want to be considered as the team that couldn't win seven games," defensive back Dwayne Stukes said. "We're already considered the team that lost to Duke."

Virginia will also be looking to stop a three-game home losing streak.