Top offensive line play is hard to come by in college football. Pancaking defenders is one thing. Keeping clean pockets is another.
For the 12 semifinalists of the Joe Moore Award, these units have shown they can do all of that and more as a cohesive unit during the 2023 college football season.
Joe Moore Award Semifinalists
The Foundation of Teamwork announced their 12 semifinalists for the 2023 Joe Moore Award on Tuesday, November 14, 2023.
The Joe Moore Award finalists will be announced on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, and eventually, the winner will be recognized in a surprise campus visit in the following days, weeks, or months.
The 12 semifinalists for the 2023 Joe Moore Award are:
- Florida State Seminoles
- Georgia Bulldogs
- Kansas State Wildcats
- LSU Tigers
- Michigan Wolverines
- Missouri Tigers
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Oregon Ducks
- Oregon State Beavers
- Tennessee Volunteers
- Texas Longhorns
- Washington Huskies
On average, these 12 teams combine to put forth 470.5 yards per game, well above the national average of 387.1 yards per game. Included in that are 181.7 rushing yards per game, again well above the national average of 155.0 rushing yards per game.
“Once again, the cream has started rising to the top, and the common thread with this year’s semifinalists is that their high level of play has directly translated into the success of their teams,” said Cole Cubelic, Chairman of the Voting Committee of the Joe Moore Award.
What is the Joe Moore Award?
Named after Joe Moore, the award is given to the best offensive line in college football. Moore, widely regarded as one of the best coaches of the position in college football history, made the position famous during his work at Notre Dame and Pittsburgh.
During 18 seasons as a coach, Joe Moore sent 52 players into the NFL.
The Joe Moore Award trophy was crafted by sports sculptor Jerry McKenna. Fittingly, the Joe Moore Award trophy is the largest trophy in college football and stands at a whopping 6’0″ tall. It tips the scales at 800 pounds.
Past award winners of the Joe Moore Award are:
- 2022: Michigan Wolverines
- 2021: Michigan Wolverines
- 2020: Alabama Crimson Tide
- 2019: LSU Tigers
- 2018: Oklahoma Sooners
- 2017: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- 2016: Iowa Hawkeyes
- 2015: Alabama Crimson Tide