Surprise, surprise, the Iowa Hawkeyes offensive line has been named to the Joe Moore Midseason Honor Roll list.
If you’ve watched any amount of Iowa football over head coach Kirk Ferentz’s tenure, you’ve likely come to the conclusion that the Hawkeyes have a boring offense. While that may be true, Iowa’s pro-style scheme bodes well for the running game and, in particular, the offensive line.
It’s due to that pro-style scheme that the Hawkeyes have seen so many offensive linemen drafted during Ferentz’s time with the team. It could be more of the same in the near future, as well, especially when considering the fact that Iowa was named to the Joe Moore Midseason Honor Roll list on Monday.
The Hawkeyes were one of 22 schools named to the list. The award is given annually to college football’s most outstanding offensive line and is named after former Notre Dame O-line coach Joe Moore. It was first given in 2015. Iowa previously won the award in 2016.
Iowa has had several players in and out of a shuffling offensive line this season, but individual standouts have been center Tyler Linderbaum and left tackle Alaric Jackson. Linderbaum is currently the highest-graded center in the entire NCAA, as rated by Pro Football Focus. He’s the only center with a grade above 90 this season (91.2).
“In a season like none other, the units on the 2020 Midseason Honor Roll should be commended for finding ways to display many of the fundamental characteristics of winning O-line play under such challenging circumstances,” said Aaron Taylor, founder of the Joe Moore award.
The award committee will announce semifinalists on Dec. 7 and finalists on Dec. 21. The winner of the 2020 Joe Moore Award will be revealed “in late December or early January” during a “surprise announcement” at the winning school’s campus.