Kentucky Offensive Line Named Joe Moore Award Finalist
The Kentucky offensive line is one of four finalists for the Joe Moore Award, recognizing the Most Outstanding Offensive Line Unit in college football, it was announced Thursday by The Foundation for Teamwork.
This is the fourth consecutive season that the Kentucky offensive line, known as the “Big Blue Wall,” has been recognized by the award for its work in the trenches. The other finalists include Air Force, Michigan and Oregon State.
Behind Kentucky’s talented “Big Blue Wall,” running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. ranks second in the Southeastern Conference and 12th nationally at 106.0 rushing yards per game. He has totaled 1,272 yards and tied a school record with eight 100-yard rushing games this season.
UK linemen, led by offensive line coach Eric Wolford and graduate assistant coach Ryan Finck, were chosen SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week five times this season. The unit has paved the way for the Wildcats to be on pace for the first season in school history averaging at least 200 yards per game passing and rushing. It also has the highest 4+ yard rushing percentage of any team in the nation and is averaging 5.51 yards per rush attempt, fourth-best nationally.
All totaled, the Wildcats have 119 combined starts on the offensive line. Senior right tackle Darian Kinnard has started in 38 consecutive games, while super senior Luke Fortner has started in 35 straight games, including every game this season at center.
Kinnard, 6-foot-5, 338-pound mountain from Knoxville, Tennessee, is just the second Kentucky player to win the SEC’s prestigious Jacobs Blocking Award, which annually has been given to the SEC’s top blocker since 1935. Offensive tackle Warren Bryant earned the distinction in 1976. The award was originated in 1935 by Dr. William P. Jacobs, the founder and president (1935-45) of Presbyterian College. Each season’s winner is elected in a poll of league coaches.
Kinnard led the team this season at the right tackle position with 30 knockdown blocks. He also allowed only one quarterback sack in 375 pass plays. He was two-time SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week following wins over Vanderbilt and Louisville. He was a semifinalist for both the 2021 Rotary Lombardi Award, given to an offensive or defensive lineman who combines outstanding performance on the field with the character and discipline of NFL Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi, and the Outland Trophy, given to the nation’s most outstanding interior lineman. In addition, he has earned first-team All-America honors by CBS/247sports and the Senior Bowl and earned first-team All-SEC honors by the league’s coaches and Pro Football Focus, which has him evaluated as one of only three Power Five tackles to grade at 85 or better as both a run and pass blocker.
Fortner is a “super senior” and a 6-6, 297-pound center from Sylvania, Ohio was named First-Team Coaches All-SEC in his first season playing center. He is a two-time SEC Lineman of the Week honoree. The two-time Campbell Trophy semifinalist has played in 54 career games for Kentucky, starting 35 in a row. After switching from right guard to center prior to the season, Fortner found his niche, excelling in his new role on the “Big Blue Wall.” He had 17 knockdown blocks in 12 games and allowed only one quarterback sack in more than 350 pass plays. Fortner was also named All-SEC Second Team by Pro Football Focus.
Under Fortner and Kinnard’s leadership on the offensive line, the Wildcats’ offense is averaging 431.1 total yards per game, including 206.1 on the ground, and is averaging 6.57 yards per play, which would set a new school record for a season. According to PFF, UK leads the SEC in rushing yards before contact, averaging 2. 6 yards per attempt.
Additionally, guard Eli Cox was a midseason All-American before an injury ended his season in early November, while tackle Dare Rosenthal was named Third-Team All-SEC by PFF.
A vote will be held to select the 2021 recipient of the Joe Moore Award by a voting body of 200-plus members. This voting body includes 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 members.
In addition to reviewing game tape every week of the season, the Joe Moore Award voting committee will later go through each of the finalists’ season-long highlight reels and multiple back-to-back quarters of game film.
The Joe Moore Award is named after Joe Moore, widely regarded as one of the best offensive line coaches in college football history, most notably for his work at Notre Dame and the University of Pittsburgh. Coach Moore sent 52 players on to the NFL, including Bill Fralic, Mark May, Russ Grimm, Jimbo Covert and others. The Joe Moore Award trophy, crafted by legendary sports sculptor Jerry McKenna, is the largest trophy in college football, standing at a height of 6 feet and weighing in at 800 pounds. The perpetual trophy is made available for display by the winning university until the conclusion of the following college football season.
Kentucky (9-3, 5-3 SEC) is headed to Orlando, Fla., for a school-record sixth straight bowl appearance. The No. 22 Wildcats have accepted a bid to play in the Vrbo Citrus Bowl and will face No. 15 Iowa Jan. 1 in Camping World Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN Radio and the UK Sports Radio Network.
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