UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO ATHLETICS
NEW YORK – The University at Buffalo offensive line has been having an excellent season and the unit was recognized on Monday by being named to the 2017 Joe Moore Award Mid-Season Honor Roll. The honor roll identifies notable performances by offensive line units in games through October 7.
The Bulls were one of 16 units honored, joining Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Miami (FL), Navy, North Carolina State, New Mexico, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, San Diego State, SMU, Stanford, TCU, Virginia Tech, Washington, Western Michigan and Wisconsin.
The Joe Moore Award Mid-Season Honor Roll includes units that display a high level of toughness, effort, teamwork, consistency, technique, and “finishing”. The Voting Subcommittee uses game film and coach submitted cut-ups on The DragonFly Division I Network as the primary OL Unit evaluation tool. Advanced OL data and statistics are provided by STATS LLC, which helps to support the film evaluation process by highlighting key situations and moments over the course of the season.
Buffalo’s offensive line has allowed only five sacks this season to lead the Mid-American Conference and rank 13th in the nation. The unit has not allowed a sack in the last two games, including a seven-overtime, 61-pass attempt performance against Western Michigan on Saturday.
Left tackle Evin Ksiezarczyk, left guard Brandon Manosalvas, center James O’Hagan, right guard Tomas Jack-Kurdyla and right tackles David Goldsby and Jacquis Webb have started for the Bulls this season. Reserves Paul Nosworthy and Kayode Awosika have also seen significant action to help solidify the unit.
“The O-line position is much more technical than some realize. So when we watch the film, we’re looking to see which units not only use good technique, but also for those that display a willingness to compete, finish, and set the tone for their offense,” said Cole Cubelic, who is the current Chairman of the Joe Moore Award Voting Subcommittee, a sideline analyst for the SEC Network and played offensive line for Auburn 1996-2001. “It’s early in the season, and it takes a while for units to get going, so we are especially working to identify groups that can do this consistently every game.”
“There’s a good chance there’s not a single OL coach in the country that’s happy with how their Unit is playing. That’s just their nature. But the teams on the Mid-Season Honor Roll caught the attention of the Subcommittee for good reason,” said Aaron Taylor, CBS CFB Analyst and Team Captain of the Joe Moore Award. “As in years past, this award won’t be earned until November, the time when college football matters most. As the season progresses, the bar will be raised along with the stakes, and all of these units have a lot of work to do in order to earn this year’s title of Most Outstanding Offensive Line Unit in college football.”
The Joe Moore Award is named after Joe Moore, widely regarded as one of the best offensive line coaches in college football history, and is the only major college football award to honor a unit. The award annually recognizes the nation’s Most Outstanding Offensive Line Unit that best displays toughness, effort, teamwork, consistency, technique, and finishing. The voting committee is comprised solely of people who played or coached the position, including 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. The Joe Moore Award has been earned by Alabama in 2015 and Iowa in 2016.
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