In 1999, he replaced injured starter Brandon Streeter in the fourth game against the University of North Carolina, helping the team win 31–20, with a 56-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. He would remain as the starter for the rest of the season. Against the University of Maryland, he broke Bobby Gage's single game total offense school record, making 16 of 23 completions for 252 yards and 22 carries for 183 yards and one touchdown for a total of 435 yards. He posted 112-of-201 completions for 1,506 passing yards, 9 passing touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 723 rushing yards and 4 rushing touchdowns.