Notre Dame, Alabama Both Named Joe Moore Award Finalists
When Notre Dame and Alabama square off in the Rose Bowl game on January 1 it will be a contest that features two of the nation's premier offensive lines. That is why both the Fighting Irish and Crimson Tide lines were named two of the three finalists for the Joe Moore Award, which goes to the nation's best line.
The founder of the Joe Moore Award is former Notre Dame All-American Aaron Taylor, who played for Moore when he was with the Irish.
“The finalists embody what the Joe Moore Award is all about, which is hard-working, like-minded individuals working together for the greater good without desire for personal gain,” said Taylor in the finals release. "The three finalists stood out all season long, and despite some late injuries, separated themselves through consistency, teamwork, and setting the tone for their entire teams.”
Notre Dame's line was outstanding all season, fueling a ground attack that racked up 217.6 rushing yards per game. Notre Dame rushed for at least 208 yards in seven of its 11 games and 199 yards in another. Notre Dame ranked 16th in pass blocking according to Pro Football Focus.
Here is what the Joe Moore Award committee had to say about the Irish.
“This unit was the gold standard of steady weekly improvement until the injuries of their C (Jarrett Patterson) and RG (Tommy Kraemer), but even then, they’ve still played at a pretty high level. The first thing you notice is consistency of their technique. They all shoot their hands very well and work to maintain leverage with their pads in the run game. Footwork and combos are what it should look like. Fundamentally sound unit with consistent sets and fierce punches in pass pro that’s clearly coached into them. The injury to their C and RG hurt their consistency, but not their effort. Resilient group.”
Notre Dame and Alabama will both be playing without their starting centers in the semi-final game, as Tide center Landon Dickerson was ruled out for the season after going down late in the win over Florida.
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