Sept. 8, 2003
Georgia Tech defenders Eric Henderson and Keyaron Fox and quarterback Reggie Ball were honored by the Atlantic Coast Conference for their performances in the Yellow Jackets’ 17-3 victory over Auburn Saturday.
Henderson, a sophomore defensive end, was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week, while Fox, a senior linebacker, was honored as ACC Defensive Back of the Week. That pair keyed a superb defensive effort as Tech held the Tigers to just 230 yards of total offense, limiting Auburn’s vaunted rushing attack to just 40 net yards. Tech turned in its best defensive performance against a ranked team since 1995, both in terms of points surrendered and total yards allowed.
Henderson, from New Orleans, La., had three of Tech’s seven sacks in the game. He also had another tackle for loss and a forced fumble, along with six tackles. He now leads the ACC in sacks, averaging 1.75 per game.
Fox, from Atlanta, collected a game-high 16 tackles with two tackles for loss, including one sack.
A true freshman from Stone Mountain, Ga., Ball was named ACC Rookie of the Week.
Ball set the tone for the game with a 54-yard completion on Tech’s first offensive play of the game, setting up a field goal and giving the Jackets a lead they would not relinquish. On Tech’s second-quarter touchdown drive, he alertly recovered a teammate’s fumble, converted a fourth-and-one with a quarterback sneak, then rushed 12 yards down to the one-yard line to set up the score. In the second half, he threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Mark Logan.
For the game, Ball completed nine of 21 passes for 149 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. He also gained 26 yards rushing on nine attempts.
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