MICHIGAN WOLVERINES WIN THE 2021 JOE MOORE AWARD
Effort, Consistency, Teamwork and Late-Season Poise Impressed Voters
ANN ARBOR, MI - December 21, 2021 - In a presentation on the campus of the University of Michigan in Schembechler Hall, the Foundation for Teamwork announced this evening that the Wolverine offensive line is the winner of the 2021 Joe Moore Award (JMA) for the most Outstanding Offensive Line Unit in College Football. This is the first time Michigan has won the award, and is just the second unit from the BIG-TEN (Iowa, 2015) to accomplish this noteworthy achievement.
The Joe Moore Award is named after Joe Moore, widely regarded as one of the best offensive line coaches in college football history, and is the only major college football award to honor a group or unit. The award annually recognizes the nation’s Most Outstanding Offensive Line Unit that best display the fundamental and historical aspects of great offensive line play: Toughness, Effort, Teamwork, Consistency, Technique, and Finishing.
“Michigan set themselves apart by their steady improvement through effort, consistency, and playing the game through ‘one set of eyes’- which in our world is synonymous for playing extremely together - as one.” said Cole Cubelic, lead sideline analyst for the SEC Network and Chairman of the Joe Moore Award voting committee. “As impressive as the other Finalists and Semi-Finalists were, the collective voting body felt strongly that Michigan, above all others, was at their best when their best was needed, and that really seemed to be the differentiator.”
Michigan's starting O-line has featured guard/tackle Karsen Barnhart (2 starts), guard Chuck Filiaga (4 starts), left tackle Ryan Hayes (13 starts), tackle Trente Jones (1 start), left guard Trevor Keegan (10 starts), right tackle Andrew Stueber (13 starts), center Andrew Vastardis (13 starts), and right guard Zak Zinter (11 starts). In addition, tight end Joel Honigford, a converted O-lineman, warrants mention as a key contributor to Michigan’s success.
“This year proved to be difficult because of just how inconsistently O-line play began across the national landscape,” said Lance Zierlein, lead draft analyst and scout for NFL Media, co-host of Prospects to Pros podcast on The Athletic, and member of the JMA voting committee since 2016. “We knew pretty early it was going to be a challenging year up front, but as the season wore on, Michigan’s unit really took control and we felt the Wolverines were winning because of their O-line, not despite them – and that was true for only a handful of units this year. It really came right down to the end, but Michigan really stepped up down the stretch and the final vote tally reflected that.”
“The O-line position is extremely difficult to evaluate, especially when doing so for entire units with differing styles of play,” said Aaron Taylor, CBS college football analyst and co-founder of the Joe Moore Award. Taylor played guard and tackle at the University of Notre Dame for the Award’s namesake, the legendary offensive line coach Joe Moore. “That is the reason we go to the trouble of watching each of the Finalists’ season long highlight reels and the multiple back-to-back quarters of game film we have them send in. The focus on the film study is about the only way the 200+ voting body can properly and credibly evaluate the nuances of the award criteria that would otherwise be difficult to see. And the debates got heated this year as we argued about the best flavors of O-line ice cream, but it was Michigan’s triple scoop of Effort, Teamwork, and Consistency that ultimately earned them their rightful place in college football history by season’s end.”
“We are always excited for another man’s success at Michigan,” said Jim Harbaugh, in his seventh season as the J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach. In this case, we are excited for our entire offensive line’s success this season. It all started with strength gained in the weight room with Ben Herbert and his staff where they offered an all-you-can-eat buffet and our guys ate it up. Coach Sherrone Moore and our offensive line have been tremendous. They have built great chemistry together and have worked extremely hard to be the very best unit in the country. I am excited for this unit to be rewarded with the Joe Moore Award.”
2021 Joe Moore Award Winner at a Glance:
Michigan (12-1)
Michigan led the Big Ten and lists 10th nationally in rushing (223.8 yards per game).
The unit has conceded the fewest tackles for loss (27) and third-fewest sacks (10) in the nation this season. Only Army and Air Force, with a combined 204 pass attempts, have allowed fewer sacks.
U-M leads all FBS programs with 39 rushing touchdowns this season.
Michigan's line has paved the way for a 1,000-yard back in Hassan Haskins (1,288 yards) and have another back in range in Blake Corum (939 yards). U-M boasts the nation's No. 10 rushing attack (223.8 yards per game), the Big Ten's be
U-M leads the nation in fewest tackles for loss allowed per game (2.08 avg.) and is third in fewest sacks allowed (0.77 avg.)
The Wolverines have surrendered 29 negative rushing yards all season on 483 non-quarterback carries.
All five positions earned all-conference honors, with four of the five starters earning first or second-team accolades: Stueber (1st team), Hayes, Vastardis and Zinter (2nd) and Keegan (honorable mention).
As a unit, the Wolverines offense ranks top 20 nationally in 10 categories: tackles for loss allowed (1st), sacks allowed (3rd), red zone offense (7th), rushing offense (10th), scoring offense (13th), fumbles lost (13th), turnovers lost (15th), total offense (18th), first downs (22nd) and third down conversions (23rd).
The Wolverines are one of the nation’s most balanced offenses this season, averaging 223.8 rushing yards and 228.1 passing yards per contest; gained 2,910 rushing yards and 2,965 passing yards this season.
The Wolverines are second in the Big Ten and 13th nationally in scoring at 37.7 ppg.
Together, the group has helped U-M to a Big Ten title and an East Division championship with a 12-1 record and a victory over Iowa in the conference title game. U-M reached that game by virtue of a 42-27 win over Ohio State at home that saw the Wolverines score their most points in the rivalry since 1946. In series history, it was U-M's largest margin of victory since 1993 (15 points), its most rushing yards (297) since 1995, and its most total yards (487) since 2013. Running back Hassan Haskins became the first player to ever record five rushing touchdowns against the Buckeyes.
Offensive line coach: Sherrone Moore
What the committee is saying:
“While there is more than one way to open a run lane, the elements needed to do so remain static year after year. Michigan's offensive line consistently puts body on body to occupy defensive fronts and then rely on teamwork and strain to help make the magic happen for the Wolverines physical running backs. They developed a mindset and identity as the year progressed and produced signature performances when the entire college football world was watching. Michigan proved it's still possible to win at a high level while playing downhill if you have a brotherhood up front playing with and for each other.”
“The JMA slogan I love the most is ‘I am because of Us’, and Michigan really embodied that this year. Rising up at the end vs Ohio State where they were almost flawless in their stunt pickups, and grinding it out vs another tough Phil Parker front seven [Iowa] in the Big Ten championship game was notable. After a bit of a touch and go start, they grew on me as the year wore on, and my hesitation turned to resolve at the end. Not always pretty or perfect, but nothing about our position ever is. But the way they showed resilience and resolve with great effort and strain is what our position is about.”
“The JMA is earned by the body of work throughout an entire season, however units can distinguish themselves in the most important games and moments of the season. In Michigan’s two biggest games of the season the Wolverines offensive line played their best ball. They rushed for nearly 300 yards against Ohio State and the following week helped propel their offense to 42 points against Iowa. They stepped up in the spotlight and are deserving of this award.”
“This group plays old school football with a physical edge. They faced stacked boxes as much as any group in the country, but still run with solid efficiency. They’re a big, Neanderthal type group that engulfs and prevents penetration. Initial aiming points are consistent whether they can maintain or not. TFLs are rare and adjust to blitz well. They seem to play their best ball in the fourth quarter when it matters most They rose to the occasion in their two most important games of the season against Ohio State and Iowa in the championship games rushing for 508 yards and 10 TDs. They epitomize what an O-line unit should mean to the success of the team. A bit surprised it took Harbaugh so long to get back to his DNA, but there’s no mystery as to why they just won their first Big Ten championship game and are suddenly competing for a national championship.”
The Trophy
The Joe Moore Award trophy, crafted by legendary sports sculptor Jerry McKenna, is the largest trophy in college football that weighs more than 500 pounds and is more than five feet wide and nearly seven feet tall. The trophy has been made available to Michigan to display on their campus until the 2022 winner is announced.
Voting Committee
The Joe Moore Award voting committee is comprised of 13 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 O-line performance.
The 2021 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, NFL, ESPN); Harry Hiestand (Joe Moore disciple, NFL and College O-line Coach); Barrett Jones (Alabama, St. Louis Rams); Duke Manyweather (Humboldt State, player and coach; founder of OL Masterminds); Geoff Schwartz (Oregon, Carolina Panthers); Sam Schwartzstein (Stanford, XFL rules creator); Phil Steele (publisher of Phil Steele’s College Football Preview, ESPN); Aaron Taylor (Notre Dame, Green Bay Packers, CBS Sports); and Lance Zierlein (NFL draft analyst, NFL.com and Prospects to Pros podcast, The Athletic).
Looking Ahead
No. 2 Michigan will be making the program’s first ever appearance in the College Football Playoff National Championship in the Orange Bowl when they take on No. 3 ranked Georgia on Dec 31 at 7:30pm ET.
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), Oklahoma University (2018), LSU (2019), and the University of Alabama (2020 - first repeat 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. 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 bring that spirit of collective achievement to athletics, education, and organizations. 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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