Hall Earns Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week Award
10/31/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
PARK RIDGE, Ill. -- The Big Ten Conference Office announced today (Monday, Oct. 31) the selection of University of Michigan junior cornerback Leon Hall (Vista, Calif./Vista HS) as the league's football Defensive Player of the Week for his play in the Wolverines' 33-17 victory at No. 21 Northwestern on Saturday (Oct. 29). This is Hall's first career weekly award from the conference.
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Hall helped spearhead Michigan's defense that held Northwestern to its fewest points of the season. The Wolverines held the Wildcats scoreless in the second half and limited the nation's No. 4 offense to 94 total offensive yards in the second half, including four negative-yardage series in the third and fourth quarters. U-M thwarted a pair fourth-down plays in the final stanza and forced four three-and-outs in the second half. The Wildcats never ran more than six plays in any offensive series in the second half and had just one possession with seven or more plays the entire game, a nine-play drive in the second quarter that ended with a 28-yard field goal by Joel Howells.
The touchdown was the first defensive score for the Wolverines in 2005 and it was Hall's second career TD. He returned a punt 76 yards for a TD at Indiana a year ago. Hall is fourth on the team with 46 tackles this season, including three tackles for loss, two sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He shares the team lead in pass breakups (seven) and interceptions (two).
Hall joins Mike Hart (offense, Oct. 3, following Michigan State game) and Steve Breaston (co-special teams, Oct. 17, following Penn State game) as Michigan's Big Ten weekly award winners this season.
Media Contacts: David Ablauf, Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
