Clemson Offensive Line Named to Joe Moore Award List

NEW YORK, NY–The Foundation for Teamwork has announced the Mid-Season Honor Roll for the Joe Moore Award, which identifies notable performances by offensive line units in games played through October 7.

The OL units from the following universities, with a combined record of 100-19, earned a spot on the Honor Roll (in alphabetical order): Alabama, Auburn, Buffalo, Clemson, Georgia, Miami, 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 Clemson offensive line is veteran with four returning starters from last year. The one who is not a returning starter is center Justin Falcinelli, who has graded in the 90s in five of the six games so far.

Mitch Hyatt made first team All-ACC as a sophomore last year, the first Clemson sophomore offensive lineman to make first-team All-ACC. He is an All-American candidate for this year. Hyatt and Tyrone Crowder give Clemson two returning first team All-ACC offensive lineman for the first time since 1967, 50 years ago. Hyatt has started every game but one the last three years (35 of the last 36) and Crowder has started 33 of the last 36.

Taylor Hearn is an athletic guard who had a 12-yard run earlier this year against Boston College. He leads all offensive linemen in yards per rush in Clemson history (tongue in cheek). In all seriousness it was the longest run by a Clemson offensive lineman since 1966 when Harry Olszewski scored on a 12 yard run with a mid air fumble recovery for a touchdown against South Carolina.

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.

“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.

“Its 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.