<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>By PAUL NEWBERRY, AP Sports Writer
September 18, 2005
ATLANTA (AP) -- Georgia Tech quarterback Reggie Ball was diagnosed with viral meningitis Sunday -- a big relief for the No. 15 Yellow Jackets. But it's not known if he'll be able to play in next weekend's crucial game against Virginia Tech.
Ball was being treated at Emory University Hospital, where he was expected to remain a second night before being released Monday. The school said the extra night was mainly a precaution.
``After I got the first two test results back and realized it wasn't one of the more serious things it could have been, I was extremely relieved,'' coach Chan Gailey said.
Ball was hospitalized after complaining of severe headaches. Viral meningitis is commonly found on college campuses and is not nearly as serious as bacterial meningitis.
The junior became ill during the week, got worse Friday night and was hospitalized the following morning, just hours before the Yellow Jackets defeated Connecticut 28-13 to improve to 3-0 for the first time since 2001.
Redshirt freshman Taylor Bennett started in Ball's place, throwing a touchdown on his first college pass but completing only 11-of-30 for 142 yards. Georgia Tech would be a major underdog against the fourth-ranked Hokies if Ball can't return for next Saturday's game in Blacksburg, Va.
``I would say that anytime you have a guy with as much experience and as much talent as Reggie has, who's played in big ballgames and won big ballgames on the road -- not to take anything away from Taylor -- but you would miss a guy with that experience,'' Gailey said.
The coach said he talked with Ball on the phone Sunday and was relieved that his quarterback sounded as though he was feeling much better. Offensive coordinator Patrick Nix visited Ball at the hospital.
``One of the first things Reggie asked Patrick was what Virginia Tech looked like on defense,'' Gailey said. ``It tells you that he feels like he's going to be back pretty quickly.''
But the Yellow Jackets will take no chances with Ball's health. Gailey said he will go into the week with three possible scenarios: Ball returning to full health, Ball and Bennett sharing the snaps, and Bennett filling in for the second week in a row.
``We will be extremely cautious in this situation and not do anything that would cause any further problems,'' Gailey said. ``If we err, we will err on the side of caution. We will do what the doctors say.''
Viral meningitis is a relatively common but rarely serious infection of the fluid in the spinal cord and surrounding the brain. There is no specific treatment, but the illness is usually mild and clears up in about a week.
Ball does not need to be quarantined and there is no danger of infecting his teammates or other students. After being released from the hospital, he will be treated day-to-day according to his symptoms.
``I told him not to worry about anything over here,'' Gailey said. ``I told him not to try to come back too quickly, to take care of himself.''
The Yellow Jackets don't know when Ball will be able to practice.
``Once his symptoms are cleared, he'll be able to go back incrementally,'' Gailey said. ``It's not like he'll be able to go back full speed the first day. He can take a few snaps the first day, a few more the next day, a few more the next day, and so on.''
Ball, who threw for a career-best 320 yards the previous week in a victory over North Carolina, had started 27 straight games in his college career.
He became ill Friday morning and was treated at the school's student health center. While at the team hotel later that night, his condition did not improve. His roommate, Bennett, said Ball was up much of the night, complaining of headaches and constantly asking for water. He was taken to the hospital Saturday morning.
If Ball can't play, Bennett will make his second straight start, with another redshirt freshman, Kyle Manley, as the backup. ``Taylor made better decisions than I thought he did during the course of the game,'' Gailey said. ``He rushed some things, but overall he put his team in position to win.''
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