Oregon Ducks using runner-up finish in Joe Moore Award as motivation
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A week ago, the Iowa Hawkeyes were named the Joe Moore Award recipients, given to the nation’s top offensive line unit. The finalists for the award were the Indiana Hoosiers and Oregon Ducks — the third straight season that head coach Dan Lanning‘s program has been named a finalist.
And for the third straight season, the Ducks were snubbed for college football’s most prestigious offensive line award.
Center Iapani Laloulu, who’s been a contributor during each of those three seasons, made his opinion clear on who should’ve won the award while turning it forward to the future.
“I mean, obviously, we all have our our thoughts and opinions,” he said. “You know, I feel like we should have won it, but at the end of the day, just hats off to Iowa … It just puts a lot more fire for us to come back next year and win it.”
Offensive coordinator Will Stein shared a similar sentiment as his star center.
“To be completely honest, I’m really shocked they did not win the Joe Moore Award,” he said. “Statistically, it was a shock to me. Those guys to me are the best offensive line unit in the country. They’ve played that way through injuries, different games where we’ve had to run it to win, throw it to win. Those guys are a great group … Those guys are coached better than any place I’ve ever been. They’ve played as a unit better than any year since we’ve been here.”
Stein has a point, as the Ducks lead the Hawkeyes in a number of stat categories. Nationally, Oregon ranks 13th in rushing yards per game; Iowa, 43rd. Oregon ranks second in yards per carry, with Iowa coming in at 49th. In sacks and tackles for loss allowed, the Ducks come in at 14th and 5th, respectively. The Hawkeyes are 16th and 17th. The stats certainly back up Stein’s argument.
Injuries also affected the line, as tackles Alex Harkey and Isaiah World and Laloulu all battled injuries late in the season. In their place, center Charlie Pickard and tackles Gernorris Wilson and Fox Crader filled in admirably, showcasing the depth of the unit.
But at the end of the day, Oregon is in the College Football Playoff and competing for a national title. That’s enough motivation in and of itself, but being snubbed of the Joe Moore Award in their eyes just adds more motivation. Just ask guard Emmanuel Pregnon.
“It’s most certainly motivation to work harder and really re-emphasize all of our principles and what our goals are in the end, and what we all come here to Oregon to do,” he said. “And ultimately, that’s winning a championship.”
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Ducks turning runner-up finish in Joe Moore Award as motivation
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