Oct. 6, 2003
Georgia Tech wide receiver Jonathan Smith was named Atlantic Coast Conference Offensive Back of the Week, and freshman quarterback Reggie Ball earned his third ACC Rookie of the Week Award after helping the Yellow Jackets to a 29-21 victory over NC State.
Smith caught nine passes for 155 yards with a 42-yard touchdown reception. He equalled his career-high with nine catches, while his 155 yards receiving represents the second-highest total of his career and his third 100-yard game of the season.
In the first half, Smith had eight catches for 143 yards to stake Tech to a 22-10 lead. Four of his catches resulted in third down conversions, including a 16-yard reception on third-and-10, a 24-yard catch on third-and-14, a 16-yard catch on third-and-10 and a 13-yard catch on third-and-seven.
The senior from Argyle, Ga., ranks second in the ACC in receiving yards (88.5 per game) and fifth in receptions (5.5 per game)
Ball, a true freshman from Stone Mountain, Ga., played his best game to date against the Wolfpack as passed for two touchdowns and rushed for another score. He completed 24 of 37 passes for a career-high 283 yards with no interceptions.
In addition to the 42-yard touchdown pass to Smith, Ball threw a perfect fade pass to a diving Nate Curry in the end zone for a five yard touchdown pass with just 15 seconds left in the first half.
His four-yard touchdown run with 12 minutes left helped seal the win.
Ball, who was also honored after Tech’s wins over Auburn and Vanderbilt, was 8-for-11 for 106 yards on third down plays, including successful conversions on five occasions when Tech faced third and seven or more yards.
