Bulldog unit named semifinalist for Joe Moore Award

ATHENS – The University of Georgia’s offensive line has been named one of the 12 semifinalists for the 2023 Joe Moore Award as one of the nation’s most outstanding units, The Foundation for Teamwork released Tuesday.

Now in their eighth season under the direction of Kirby Smart, the Bulldogs are 10-0 this year, and are the consensus number one team in the national polls and No. 2 in the College Football Playoff rankings. Stacy Searels serves as Georgia’s offensive line coach.

The Bulldogs rank sixth nationally is scoring, averaging 40.6 points per game. Georgia ranks fifth nationally in Total Offense at 504.8 yards per game including 7.3 yards per play. The Bulldogs lead the SEC and rank seventh nationally in fewest sacks allowed at 0.90 per game. The offensive line has helped first-year starting quarterback Carson Beck rank sixth nationally with a 72.2 completion percentage. The line has been one of the reasons the Bulldogs lead the nation in 3rd Down Conversion Percentage at 56 percent.

Here is the Joe Moore Award voting committee’s take on Georgia’s offensive line at this point:

“The Georgia O-line machine rolls on. Not many units could lose their best player [RT Amarius Mims] in Week 3 and replace him with their LG [Xavier Truss] and not skip a beat. It looks a bit different this year, but the high level of production through all the injuries on that side of the ball is remarkable. Searels does a great job, and this may be the year they break through.”

The Foundation for Teamwork has presented the Joe Moore Award annually since 2015. The Joe Moore Award finalists will be named on Dec. 5th. The eventual winner will be recognized in the ensuing weeks during a surprise, on campus visit to the winning unit’s school (TBD as per the winning school’s schedule).

The No. 2 (CFP) Bulldogs (10-0, 7-0 SEC) travel to Knoxville, Tenn., to face No. 13 Tennessee (7-3, 3-3 SEC) on Saturday. CBS will televise the matchup at 3:30 p.m. ET. Also, SEC Nation will make the trip to Tennessee’s campus.