When you can run the football like the Michigan Wolverines did in 2021, and the quarterback stays off his back, the offensive line is going to get some love.
On Tuesday, the Wolverines offensive line got some major love as they received the Joe Moore Award for being the top offensive line unit in the nation.
From Michigan:
The offensive line of the No. 2-ranked University of Michigan football team was crowned as the winner of the 2021 Joe Moore Award, given to the top offensive line in college football. The award has been given each year since 2015 and U-M is the second team from the Big Ten to win the honor (Iowa, 2016).
U-M’s line has been the heartbeat of a prolific offense. Together, the unit has helped U-M pile up 5,875 yards of offense, the second-highest single-season total in program history. U-M averages 37.7 points per game (No. 13, NCAA) and 451.9 yards per contest (No. 18).
Tackles Ryan Hayes (left) and Andrew Stueber (right) have joined center and captain Andrew Vastardis (center) in starting all 13 games. Guards Zak Zinter (right, 11 starts) and Trevor Keegan (left, 10 starts) have been mainstays as well. Chuck Filiaga (four starts) and Karsen Barnhart (two starts) have also started on either side of Vastardis, and Trente Jones (one start) has been the team’s sixth man, lining up as the extra lineman in jumbo alignments.
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. Michigan’s line has paved the way for a 1,000-yard back in Hassan Haskins (1,288 yards) and have another in range with Blake Corum at 939 yards entering the Capital One Orange Bowl. U-M boasts the nation’s No. 10 rushing attack (223.8 yards per game), the Big Ten’s best.
Joe Moore Award 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐑.
Congratulations to our offensive line unit on being named the 2021 @joemooreaward winners.
🗞 https://t.co/Tpo8giMGSs#GoBlue // #IAmBecauseOfUs // #TeamWork pic.twitter.com/QUUX7rkW7A
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) December 21, 2021
