WASHINGTON HUSKIES WIN THE 2023 JOE MOORE AWARD

Athleticism, Physicality, and Finishing Impressed Voters

https://joemooreaward.com/2023jmawinner

SEATTLE, WA (Dec. 21, 2023) — The Foundation for Teamwork announced today that the University of Washington’s offensive line is the recipient of the 2023 Joe Moore Award (JMA) for the Most Outstanding Offensive Line Unit in College Football with the support from corporate partner Enovis’™ DonJoy brand. In a surprise presentation inside the Dempsey Indoor practice facility on Washington’s campus, the Husky offensive line was presented with the only award in college football that celebrates a group or unit. Washington becomes both the first - and last - unit from the Pac-12 to earn the prestigious award, as they will be joining the BIG TEN conference next year along with former Pac-12 members,  Oregon, UCLA, and USC. 

“Washington was on the committee’s radar almost immediately due to their rare combination of physicality and athleticism,” 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. “They got better as the season progressed and consistently stepped up when it mattered. But what seemed to put them over the top was their junk yard dawg demeanor and how they looked to punish and set the tone with their physical style of play. Their level of effort, strain, and physicality is rare for this style of offense, and the voting body seemed to appreciate that.” 

“The level of play at our position this year was elevated across the board which made the selection process for the Finalists extremely difficult,” said Cole Cubelic, lead sideline analyst for the SEC Network and Chairman of the Joe Moore Award voting committee. “Georgia, LSU, and Oregon all had remarkable seasons and should be commended for what they were able to accomplish.”

Washington's starting O-line featured seven different players and four different lineups, including junior left tackle Troy Fautanu (13 starts),  junior left guard Nate Kalepo (13 starts, incl. 1 at RG), redshirt freshman center Parker Brailsford (13 starts, incl. 2 at RG), redshirt senior center Matteo Mele (2 starts - injured), redshirt junior right guard Julius Buelow (6 starts), sophomore right guard Geirean Hatchett (5 starts), and sophomore right tackle Roger Rosengarten (13 starts). 

What Head Coach Kalen DeBoer Had to Say: 

The dominance of our offensive line has been critical to our team’s championship season. Under Coach Scott Huff’s leadership, this unit has provided exceptional protection for Michael Penix all season long, and paved the way for a physical and efficient run game as well. The Joe Moore Award is a tremendous tribute to their production and an honor they will truly cherish!  I am proud of the work they have put in to receive such a great achievement!

 2023 Joe Moore Award Winner at a Glance

Washington  (13-0)

  • The Huskies’ o-line is also responsible for the team ranking No. 5 in the nation in fewest sacks allowed.

  • Washington has allowed just 11 sacks in 13 games, and only 46 tackles for loss

  • The Huskies, who are 13-0 and ranked No. 2, lead the nation in passing offense, and are No. 12 in total offense.

  • Over the season’s last five games, which included four games against ranked opponents (two of them in the top-10), Washington averaged 162.0 rushing yards per game. Among the teams UW beat in that five-game run were Utah (No. 4 in the nation in rushing defense), Oregon (No. 11), and Oregon State (No. 15).

  • Washington is also No. 10 in scoring offense, No. 11 in third-down conversion percentage, and No. 9 in fourth-down conversion percentage

Offensive line coach: Scott Huff

What The Voting Body Said: 

  • “Washington's group plays with a relentless effort and seems to take a lot of pride in finishing blocks. It matters to them. They have an internal competition between the left and right sides where they compete for the most “pancakes" [knockdowns in run game] and what we call “full slabs” [knockdowns in pass protection]. There is a culture of physicality that is emphasized and coached into them, and [o-line coach] Scott Huff should be commended for the job he’s done with this group.” 

  • “Perfect blend of athleticism and physicality. Love their ability to get out on the perimeter on pin and pull schemes and be so effective in space. Also a big fan of their double team run fits. Foot to foot, hip to hip across the board. They get vertical displacement and have eyes on LBs…and they just fit them, they try to punish them. Especially against Oregon. Despite their style of offense, there is nothing finesse about this group.”

  • “Nothing the o-line position does is natural, so use of hands and proper placement tends to be a clue that a unit is well coached. This is a group of strikers, not catchers. They’re not waiting for defenders to start the fight, they’re taking it to them. Their punches land inside on a consistent basis, and if they miss, they reposition and reestablish leverage pretty quickly.” 

  • “These dudes look to punish and it shows with them being one of the best in the country at yards before contact, highlighted in the USC game where 199 of Dillion Johnson's 256 yards were before he was touched by a defender. That’s pretty remarkable.”

  • ”They see pressure and stunts through one set of eyes for the most part. They snap off penetrators, mirror the loopers on twists, and actually finish in pass pro. Not unusual to see defenders on the ground, even on drop back passes. That’s pretty rare to see that.”

  • “Their pass protection impressed me. Only a handful of sacks or pressures, and their ability to keep their shoulders square and remain on the same level and pass off stunts and games impressed me. They all seem to be pretty good at resetting their hands and can put the brakes vs bull rushes and power. Admittedly, they weren’t perfect this year and had a couple games late where the entire offense seemed to be a bit off, but Washington's offense quietly relies on - and is sustained by - their offensive line.”

  • “While they don’t run the ball as often as other teams, when they do run it, they more than get the job done, like in the Pac-12 Championship Game. They took over and successfully ran it on a very good Oregon front when it mattered. That “Gotta Have It” situation was the moment they won me over.”

  • “Pass pro is certainly not passive with this group. Reminds me a bit of the 2019 LSU winning unit. 71(LG Nate Kalepo) looks like the alpha, but none of them overlook an opportunity to set the tone. They are physical all around. Nasty, nasty group that’s really fun to watch.”

  • “It’s not just what they do, it's how they do it. They try to punish and demoralize when they play. I realize a lot of people are going to excuse it with their quick throw game, but when they needed Dylan Johnson to be the hammer, they hammered it down.”

  • “The strain and the attitude stand out. Not to take anything from any other units, but Washington had their ‘Moore Moment’ when they stepped up with everything on the line in the last ever Pac-12 championship. They knew what was at stake, and they stepped up and delivered. That’s what this award is all about.”

  • “They are enforcers. Not watchers. They’ll be tested mightily against a stout and athletic Texas front, but they’ll be up for that challenge and won’t back down from anyone for any reason, I promise you that. That’ll be a fair fight and the key matchup to that contest if you ask me.” 

Looking Ahead

The Washington Huskies will next head to New Orleans, Louisiana to face No. 3 Texas Longhorns in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 2024 at 7:45 p.m. CT on ABC for the College Football Playoff semifinal. Washington and Texas have played five previous times, with the Longhorns owning a 3-2 all-time record. These two  programs last met a year ago in the 2022 Alamo Bowl, where the Longhorns fell, 27-20.

Voting Committee

The Joe Moore Award voting committee is composed of 9 individuals who are highly knowledgeable about offensive line play, including former linemen, o-line coaches, NFL 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. In addition to the full season of film evaluation, a review of advanced data and analytics provided by Sports Info Solutions is conducted after the conference championship games are completed. 

The 2023 voting committee includes Chairman Cole Cubelic (Auburn, SEC Network); Charles Arbuckle (UCLA, Indianapolis Colts); Randy Cross (UCLA, San Francisco 49ers); Mike Golic, Jr. (Notre Dame, ESPN); Duke Manyweather (Humboldt State, player and coach, founder of OL Masterminds); 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), Oklahoma University (2018), LSU (2019), the University of Alabama (2020 - first repeat winner), and the University of Michigan (2021 and 2022 – the first back-to-back winner). 

Joe Moore Award Credo 

Teamwork. It’s what defines football as a sport and it is displayed in its greatest glory – in its most profound necessity – in the play of the offensive line. For it is there that individual achievement only matters if the entire unit is performing. When we execute together, great things happen. But if one player missteps, the rest of the team pays the price. That idea – along with hard work and the willingness to strive to be your best – embodies what Coach Joe Moore instilled in his players. 

But it’s about more than football. It’s about how we live our lives, how we contribute to society, how we participate in the realization of great things. Teamwork is a bond. It’s a promise. And it’s a commitment to put the greater good above ourselves. It’s the greatest form of individual achievement because it requires total sacrifice – of focus, of effort, of ego. The road to success requires an unwavering commitment to purpose that creates an unbreakable bond between each of us. And it makes that success one of the greatest achievements on the planet. 

 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 7 feet and weighing in at over 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).

###