Award Honors the Most Outstanding Offensive Line Unit in College Football
Press Release by Tim Harkins, University of Wyoming Athletics
Laramie, Wyo. (Oct. 18, 2023) – The Joe Moore Award for the Most Outstanding Offensive Line Unit in College Football has revealed the members of its 2023 Midseason Honor Roll. The announcement was made in conjunction with The Foundation for Teamwork, which has presented the unique award since 2015.
Of the 133 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs competing in 2023, only 23 were named to the Joe Moore Award Midseason Honor Roll. Those 23 programs earning a spot on this year’s midseason honor roll are the offensive line units of Wyoming, Air Force, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Missouri, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Oregon State, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas, UCF and Washington.
The physical Wyoming offensive line has registered 146 knockdown blocks through seven games, – an average of 16 knockdowns per game. Despite injuries at the running back and quarterback position, Wyoming has been able to maintain an average of 5.3 yards per rush.
This year’s honor roll members represent eight conferences and two independents (in alphabetical order): ACC (5), BIG TEN (3), BIG-12 (3), MW (2), PAC-12 (3), SEC (6) and Notre Dame. For games played through Oct. 16, teams on this year’s honor roll had a combined record of 122-26 and includes sixteen ranked teams, eight of which are in the Top Ten of the AP Poll.
These units have gained the attention of the Joe Moore Award voting committee as it moves closer to announcing the selection of semifinalists on Nov. 14 and finalists on Dec. 5. Selection of the 2023 Joe Moore Award winner will be made public after a surprise visit to the winning university’s campus in late December.
“The offensive line units on the 2023 Midseason Honor Roll have caught the attention of the committee through the October 14 weekend, by demonstrating some or all of the award criteria in a recognizable way,” said Cole Cubelic, chairman of the Joe Moore Award voting committee. “The bar will raise significantly from here, and the consistency required to earn further recognition will be how the elite units eventually separate themselves.”
“It’s been fun to watch these units come together and begin to elevate their play as the year has progressed,” said Lance Zierlein, JMA voting committee member and NFL Draft analyst. “Our experience has shown that the cream begins to rise to the top from here on out, so we’ll keep a closer eye on all units to see how they finish down the stretch, especially in November. As always, having some depth and staying healthy will be critical.”
Units of Interest
In addition to the offensive line units listed above, committee members also took note of the play and production of Appalachian State, Boston College, Liberty, Louisiana, and Troy.
Honor Roll Criteria and Selection Process
The Joe Moore Award voting committee judges solely on six criteria: toughness, effort, teamwork, consistency, technique and finishing.
Evaluations for the midseason honor roll were made solely through weekly review of actual game film and offensive line coach-provided cut-ups.
Voting Committee
The Joe Moore Award voting committee comprises 10 individuals who are highly knowledgeable about offensive line play, including former linemen, coaches, talent evaluators and media analysts. This group conducts in-depth analysis by reviewing game tape every week of the season to assess both the fundamentals and subtleties of overall offensive line performance.
The 2023 voting committee includes Chairman Cole Cubelic (Auburn, SEC Network); Charles Arbuckle (UCLA, Indianapolis Colts); Randy Cross (UCLA, San Francisco 49ers); Gerry DiNardo (Notre Dame, head coach at LSU); Mike Golic, Jr. (Notre Dame, ESPN); Duke Manyweather (Humboldt State, player and coach); Geoff Schwartz (Oregon, Carolina Panthers); Phil Steele (publisher of Phil Steele’s College Football Preview, ESPN); Aaron Taylor (Notre Dame, Green Bay Packers); and Lance Zierlein (NFL draft analyst, NFL.com).
Past Award Recipients
Past recipients of the Joe Moore Award include the offensive lines of the University of Alabama (2015), the University of Iowa (2016). the University of Notre Dame (2017), the University of Oklahoma (2018), LSU (2019), the University of Alabama (2020 - first repeat winner), and the University of Michigan (2021 and 2022 - first back to back winner)
About the Joe Moore Award
The Joe Moore Award is named after Joe Moore, widely regarded as one of the best offensive line coaches in college football history, most notably for his work at Notre Dame and the University of Pittsburgh. Over 18 seasons, Coach Moore sent 52 players on to the NFL, including Bill Fralic, Mark May, Russ Grimm, Jimbo Covert and others.
The Joe Moore Award trophy, crafted by legendary sports sculptor Jerry McKenna, is the largest trophy in college football, standing at a height of 6 feet and weighing in at 800 pounds. The perpetual trophy is made available for display by the winning university until the conclusion of the following college football season.
About The Foundation for Teamwork
The Foundation for Teamwork is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to fostering teamwork in all societal endeavors and bringing that spirit of collective achievement to athletics, education, and organizations.
Learn More or Follow Us
Find out more at joemooreaward.com and follow the Joe Moore Award on Twitter (@joemooreaward), Instagram (@joemooreaward), and Facebook (facebook.com/JoeMooreAward).
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