IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa’s offensive line unit has been named one of 11 semifinalists for the 2020 Joe Moore Award, given to the top offensive line unit in college football.
Iowa is one of two Big Ten units (Ohio State) to be named a semifinalist. The Hawkeyes’ offensive line won the award in 2016.
Finalists for the Joe Moore Award will be announced Monday, Dec. 21.
Through eight games, Iowa ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring (31.8), while averaging 368.6 yards total offense and 171.0 rushing yards per game.
Most recently, Iowa’s offensive line helped the Hawkeyes rush for 127 yards and gain 338 yards of total offense against a Wisconsin defense that was allowing only 72.3 yards rushing and 229.3 total yards per game.
Three Hawkeyes have started all eight games on Iowa’s offensive front; senior Alaric Jackson at left tackle, sophomore center Tyler Linderbaum, and senior guard Cole Banwart, who has started at both left and right guard positions.
Working through a number of injuries, three different Hawkeyes have started at right tackle through eight games.
Graduate transfer Coy Cronk started the opening two games at right tackle but has missed six games due to injury. Junior Mark Kallenberger started at that position in wins over Michigan State, at Minnesota and at Penn State, before suffering an injury and missing two games. Sophomore Jack Plumb started at right tackle in wins over Nebraska and Illinois before Kallenberger returned to the line-up against Wisconsin.
Junior Kyler Schott and sophomore Cody Ince have rotated at the guard positions with Banwart. Ince has started the last six games at left guard. Schott started at left guard in the opening contest and at right guard against Northwestern. He then missed three games due to illness and has returned to rotate in the offensive line in Iowa’s most recent two wins.
Iowa (6-2) and its six-game winning streak will face Michigan (2-4) on Saturday inside Kinnick Stadium at 6 p.m. (CT). The game will be televised on ESPN.
