Field of Nation’s Top Collegiate O-Lines Narrowed Down to Just Two Units

NEW YORK (Dec. 7, 2022) — The Foundation for Teamwork today revealed the two finalists for the 2022 Joe Moore Award presented to college football's Most Outstanding Offensive Line Unit. A final field of two is unprecedented for the Joe Moore Award, which has annually presented this unique honor since 2015.

The two finalists in the running to be named the top collegiate O-line in the country are (in alphabetical order) No. 1 Georgia (2022 SEC Champion), and No. 2 Michigan (2022 BIG-TEN Champion). For games played through Dec. 3, this year’s finalists have a combined record of 26-0 and average 472.3 total yards per game (compared to the national average of 393.4 total ypg) and 225.0 rush yards per game (compared to the national average of 160.3 rush ypg).

The award’s voting committee will announce the recipient of the 2022 Joe Moore Award after a surprise visit to the winning university’s campus in late December.

“To be considered a potential Joe Moore Award winner, an offense must be successful because of their O- line unit, not despite it, and that is unquestionably the case with the 2022 finalists,” said Cole Cubelic, chairman of the Joe Moore Award voting committee. “Historically it’s taken five to six weeks for O-line units to hit their stride, but Georgia and Michigan separated themselves pretty early on with their teamwork, technique, and commitment to physicality.”

“With 131 units on our preseason ‘watch list’, one of the yearly challenges the committee faces is finding enough time to watch the amount of tape necessary to make informed evaluations,” said Aaron Taylor, CBS college football analyst and founder of the Joe Moore Award. Taylor played guard at the University of Notre Dame for the award’s namesake, the legendary offensive line coach Joe Moore. “Thankfully, units like Michigan and Georgia make finding the time easier by being so rewarding to watch. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited about a potential head to head JMA matchup in the playoffs, as both of this year’s finalists seem to be at their best when it’s needed most - at the end of ball games.”

“The finalists embody what the Joe Moore Award is all about, which is hard-working, like-minded units working their tails off for the greater good without desire for personal gain,” said Lance Zierlein, founding member of the Joe Moore Award voting committee, NFL draft analyst, and lead contributor to the draft profiles on NFL.com. “There was some impressive play by many of the other units, but Georgia and Michigan really separated themselves down the stretch by getting lathered up late in games with incredible displays of patience, resilience, and consistency.”

Short-Stack Shout Outs:

In addition to the 2022 Honor Roll members, Semifinalists, and Finalists, the committee wanted to acknowledge some notable performances and development by the following units and their O-line coaches:

  • Kansas State University, Conor Riley - There is a level of assignment-oriented consistency and “hat-on-hat” urgency that is easy to appreciate. They’re more thunder than lightning when it comes

    to athleticism, but their technique, toughness and teamwork are what this award is about.

  • University of Notre Dame, Harry Hiestand - Overall growth, development, use of hands, strain and finishing on drive blocks which was best displayed in a dominant performance against Clemson.

  • University of Utah, Jim Harding - Unit displays athleticism and physicality at the point of attack. TE32 is a sledge hammer and relishes contact. They fight for four quarters and compete to the whistle. All look for work and to help in pass pro. Unit perfectly represents the gritty nature of Whittingham’s team.

  • University of Washington, Scott Huff - Athletic unit that finished the season strong; they play as one, good use of hands and ‘sort through the trash’ and ‘separate the recyclables’ (stunts and blitzes) well against Washington State.

    Finalist Criteria and Selection Process
    The Joe Moore Award voting committee judges solely on six criteria: toughness, effort, teamwork, consistency, technique and finishing. Evaluations for finalists were made through weekly review of actual game film and offensive line coach-provided cut-ups.

    Unprecedented NIL Award Program:

    In 2021, the Joe Moore Award became the first post-season college award platform to launch an NIL program for its 2021 winner, the University of Michigan.

    The Joe Moore Award firmly believes in the notion that when the O-line wins, everyone in the community should win as well. In this spirit of mutual and collaborative support, Award winning unit will once again receive 100% of the net proceeds from a soon to be released, limited edition t-shirt and merchandise sale. the 2022 Joe Moore In addition, to help further the reach of the winning unit’s impact on their communities, the Foundation for Teamwork and the Joe Moore Award will also match and donate, up to $5,000 of the net NIL proceeds earned by the winning unit to the AthLife Foundation**, a national educational platform that works to ensure that deserving kids from our nation's most challenged and promising communities, can achieve in their future careers beyond sport. Designed by Make Your Move, the Student Athletes NIL ally, proceeds from all Limited Edition merchandise purchases directly support the Joe Moore Award Winners. View and purchase at gomym.com/collections/joe-moore-award

2022 Joe Moore Award Finalists at a Glance

Georgia (13-0)

  • Georgia’s O-line unit has only allowed seven sacks this year. That leads the SEC and is tied for second nationally.

  • Behind the protection of the O-line, the Bulldogs are averaging 39.2 points/game and 207 yards per game rushing during Georgia’s 13-0 season.

  • Helped reigning national champions to a 13-0 (8-0 SEC) record and consensus No. 1 team ranking in the national polls.

  • Georgia is tied for third nationally with 37 Rushing TDs.

  • Bulldogs lead the country in Red Zone Offense, scoring 97.2 percent of the time and are tied for third with the nation’s third most rushing TDs (30) in Red Zone.

  • Georgia ranks 7th nationally in Total Offense (491.9 ypg) and 11th nationally in Scoring Offense (39.2 ppg).

  • Georgia has been sacked just seven times in 13 games this season (tied for 2rd nationally at 0.54 sack/game).

  • Paved the way for 255 yards (5.8 yards per carry) and 2 touchdowns in a 50-30 win over LSU in the SEC Championship Game.

    What The Voting Committee Is Saying:

  • “Georgia is an intimidating physical presence on every snap. Whether it's gap or zone scheme, they continue to find work and get movement at the POA (point of attack). After a sluggish start, they keep getting better and have finally found some continuity to provide some balance to their offensive success.”

  • “Georgia is a unit that likes to bludgeon people. They’re so physical when they get a hold of you. They win with brute force and strength vs super clean technique and consistency, so it can be messy at times, but that’s what happens when you swing the battle ax-like they do. They are the anchor of a team that has elite TE play and an excellent, under-appreciated, and O-line friendly QB.”

  • “This position group - and by extension our award - is based on rising to the occasion when it matters most, like their season high performance vs Auburn, the second half vs Mizzou, and the second half of SEC Championship Game where they rushed 31 times for 188 yards (6.1 yd average) and 2 rush TDs...in the second half.”

  • “C can play with great balance and recovery and accelerates well on contact. All work to strain and finish, esp LG and RT. They all seem to like contact. This is a group of enforcers, not watchers. They play the whole play and cover down on the ball on downfield pass plays and pick guys off of the pile. That has to be taught or encouraged, and it’s fun as hell to watch.”

    Offensive line coach: Stacy Searels

Michigan (13-0)

  • All five offensive linemen earned all-conference honors, with three first-team and one second-team selection.

  • Center Olu Oluwatimi is a finalist for the Outland Trophy and Rimington Award

  • Michigan leads the Big Ten and is sixth nationally in rushing offense at 234 yards per contest.

  • The offensive line is 11th nationally in sacks allowed (1.0 per game) and ranks 22nd in tackles for loss allowed (4.31 avg.).

  • The line has anchored an offense that is averaging 40 points per contest, which ranks seventh-best in college football.

  • U-M's offensive line has permitted just 56 negative plays on 895 offensive snaps (4.3 per game on 68.8 offensive snaps).

  • Michigan has 38 total rushing scores (No. 2, NCAA).

  • Opponents have pressured a U-M passer 29 times (13 sacks, 16 hurries) in 13 games; when

    the line does allow a sack against starter J.J. McCarthy, it comes on an average of 4.60 seconds to throw, the tied-eighth-most time when considering passers with at least 100 dropbacks.

  • The unit has paved the way for 5.96 yards per sack-adjusted carry; Michigan rushers have lost 99 yards on 547 non-sack rush attempts.

    What The Voting Committee Is Saying:

  • “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. TFLs are rare and adjust to blitz well. They seem to play their best ball in the fourth quarter when it matters most. We learned all we needed to know at the end of Ohio State and in the Big Ten Championship Game where this group beautifully reminded the country that linemen win games.”

  • “This unit may embody the teamwork criteria better than any unit we’ve ever seen, and that’s been the case for the last two seasons. They communicate looks and play through one set of eyes. Routinely switch games (stunts) well, and sort the trash on complex blitz schemes almost flawlessly. Rare missed men and they consistently give each play a chance.”

  • “Their C 55 has been a nice upgrade for this group. He makes everything right inside. Almost an eraser for them. LT has great strain. RT is a bit limited athletically in PP (pass protection) but brings it on playside double teams. As a group they strain to finish and compete to the whistle. Their technique and consistency is what really stands out.”

  • “I noticed their hands right away. That’s usually a tell of a well coached unit because it’s so unnatural. In the football world, you either coach it or allow it, and it's clear what the expectation is in Ann Arbor.”

  • “Michigan gets it done in a slightly different way, but they have the ability to impose their will on their opponents in the biggest games and in the biggest moments.”

    Offensive line coach: Sherrone Moore

Voting Committee

The Joe Moore Award voting committee is composed of nine 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 2022 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, Draft Kings); 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).

Looking Ahead

After the finalists have been announced, a vote will be held to select the 2022 recipient of the Joe Moore Award by a voting body of 200-plus members. This voting body includes all of the current offensive line coaches at the Division I/FBS level, as well as former players, coaches, colleagues of Coach Moore and select media members.

In addition to reviewing game tape every week of the season, the Joe Moore Award voting committee will later go through each of the finalists’ season-long highlight reels and multiple back-to-back quarters of game film.

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).

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.

“I AM BECAUSE OF US.”

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).

* CFP Poll as of December 4th, 2022

** About The AthLife Foundation (NIL Program Beneficiary):

Founded in 2010, The AthLife Foundation is a 501(c)3 national nonprofit organization with a mission to ensure that deserving kids from our nation's most challenged, yet promising communities, can achieve in their future careers beyond sport.

Through grant funding, training and industry leading resources, we help schools create a critical professional mentoring position in secondary education, called an Academic Athletic Coach. That Academic Athletic Coach works year round to create high impact programming, taps into a student’s passion for their sport and athletics, drives academic achievement, and prepares kids for post high school success.

Our work is being supported by the Alliance for Academic Athletic Coaches & Educators (3ACE Connected Community), Connecticut Office of Higher Education, CNX Foundation, Heisman Trophy Trust, Jason Garrett Starfish Charities, Joe Moore Award & Foundation for Teamwork, New York Community Trust, NFL Foundation, St. Luke’s University Health Network, Tulane Center for Sport, and Under Armour.

Please visit athlifefoundation.org to learn more about our platform and 3ace.connectedcommunity.org to join the national movement.

The AthLife Foundation & 3ACE Connected Community, fueled by an unwavering belief in human potential.

  • $1M+ Awarded to Schools - 10,000+ Deserving Kids

  • 265 Industry Professionals - 120 High Schools

  • 50 Community Organizations - 30 Colleges/Universities

  • 28 States & The District of Columbia

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