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ATLANTA (Ticker) -- This is no ordinary Joe. Joe Hamilton continued his underpublicized Heisman Trophy push with a school-record 474 yards of total offense as 12th-ranked Georgia Tech raced past upstart Atlantic Cost Conference foe Maryland, 49-31. Hamilton completed 19-of-31 passes for a career high-tying 387 yards and three touchdowns. The double threat also carried 13 times for 87 yards and a score as he tore through Maryland's defense, which came in ranked atop the nation in points allowed. Hamilton has been nothing short of spectacular this season. He has completed 71 percent (65-of-91) of his passes for 1,074 yards and nine TDs. He threw for 387 yards and three TDs in a 41-35 loss to No. 1 Florida State and has the Yellow Jackets averaging 43.5 points per game. The senior from Alvin, South Carolina also jump-started wide receiver Dez White, who ended a slump with five catches for 215 yards and two TDs. White came in with 161 yards and six receptions in the first three games. "It was sort of a track meet for a while, but we made some big plays," Georgia Tech coach George O'Leary said. "Dez White and Joe Hamilton made some nice combinations out there." "He's special," Hamilton said of White. "He can stretch the defense on any given play and is a threat to score anytime he touches the ball. He opens up the running game. He's just an exciting player." Despite a massive campaign by the school athletic department that included mousepads and CD-ROMs with Hamilton's picture, he has been lagging behind Florida State receiver Peter Warrick and Wisconsin fullback Ron Dayne. But Hamilton doesn't have to convince Maryland coach Ron Vanderlinden. "He is a great player. He has been for some time now," said Vanderlinden. "I can't imagine a better college football player. He runs the ball as well as any quarterback in the country and he throws the ball extremely well. I can't imagine a more complete player than Joe Hamilton." Georgia Tech (3-1, 1-1 ACC) outclassed Maryland (3-1, 0-1) but the Terrapins did not back down. Powered by running back Lamont Jordan, they led late in the first half and were within four points midway through the third quarter. The Yellow Jackets improved to 9-3 in the all-time series and never have lost in six home meetings with the Terps. "I'm disappointed we didn't play better," Vanderlinden said. "We missed far too many tackles. We gave up so many explosion plays and it was really disheartening. I believe in our defense and I know we are better than what we performed tonight." Maryland was coming off shutouts in two of its first three games but surrendered touchdowns on Georgia Tech's first two plays from scrimmage -- a 48-yard run by Sean Gregory and an 80-yard pass from Hamilton to White, who made a pair of stop-and-go moves after the catch. In between, Gary Guilian returned a kickoff 84 yards to set up a one-yard TD run by Jordan, who had 79 yards on 27 carries. He also capped a 75-yard drive with a four-yard scoring jaunt that tied the game, 14-14, with 1:23 left in the first quarter. Less than three minutes later, Brian Kopka kicked a 32-yard field goal to give the Terps a surprising lead before Hamilton took charge, throwing a pair of TD passes in the last 90 seconds of the half. He found a streaking White in the right corner of the end zone from 29 yards to give the Yellow Jackets the lead for good with 1:21 to go. After a short punt, Hamilton hit Kerry Watkins with a 30-yard strike on a post pattern for a TD and a 28-17 lead with 18 seconds remaining. "They made a lot of improvements from last year and I think that did catch us off guard at the beginning of the game," White said. "The coaching staff made the necessary adjustments and we had to come out and make the plays. We had to step up." Hamilton threw for a school-record 257 yards in the first half, but Maryland was still hanging around after Matt Kapalinski's one-yard TD run capped an 80-yard march five minutes into the third quarter. On the next possession, Hamilton raced 41 yards for a score. Tech struck again just over four minutes later, going 70 yards in 76 seconds, with a one-yard run by Phillip Rogers providing a 42-24 advantage with 1:36 left in the third quarter. "We have the mentality that every time we touch the ball, we're going to get it into the end zone," Hamilton said. "Whatever approach I can take or whatever I can do to make that true to get it in the end zone, I'm going to do it." Jordan threw a 60-yard TD pass to Jermaine Arrington with 14 seconds left in the period but the Yellow Jackets sealed it on Rogers' second one-yard scoring run with 5:46 to play. Gregory, Tech's third-string tailback, had 57 yards on nine carries. Kelly Campbell caught six passes for 86 yards for the Yellow Jackets, who held a 587-399 advantage in total yards and converted 9-of-15 third downs. Calvin McCall was 15-of-30 for 221 yards and two interceptions for the Terps, who twice picked off Hamilton. Jordan also had four catches for 61 yards.
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