ATHENS, Ga. --- The University of Georgia’s offensive line has been named a finalist for the Joe Moore Award, which recognizes college football’s most outstanding offensive line unit.

The Joe Moore Award recipient will be named in late December during a surprise, on campus visit to the winning unit’s school. The top-ranked Bulldogs (13-0) and No. 2 Michigan (13-0) are the two finalists this year, according to an announcement by The Foundation for Teamwork as they have presented this honor since 2015.

Georgia features and offense that ranks among the best in the country. The Bulldogs are 11th nationally in scoring (39.2 points per game), ninth in total offense (491.9 yards per game) and 18th in rushing (207.0 yards per game). The Bulldogs are tied for third nationally with 37 rushing touchdowns and lead the country in Red Zone offense, scoring 97 percent of the time. Georgia has surrendered just seven sacks on the year, which is tied for the second fewest nationally.

In the SEC Championship Game win over No. 14 LSU, the Bulldogs tallied 50 points and 529 yards of total offense including 255 rushing yards (5.8 yard per carry). Georgia posted two rushing touchdowns, four through the air plus one on special teams.

The Joe Moore Award voting committee judges solely on six criteria: toughness, effort, teamwork, consistency, technique, and finishing.

“To be considered a potential Joe Moore Award winner, an offense must be successful because of their O-line unit, not despite it, and that is unquestionably the case with the 2022 finalists,” said Cole Cubelic, chairman of the Joe Moore Award voting committee. “Historically it’s taken five to six weeks for O-line units to hit their stride, but Georgia and Michigan separated themselves pretty early on with their teamwork, technique, and commitment to physicality.”

Past recipients of the Joe Moore Award include Alabama (2015, 2020), Iowa (2016), Notre Dame (2017), Oklahoma (2018), LSU (2019), and Michigan (2021).

Georgia will face No. 4 Ohio State (11-1) in a College Football Playoff semifinal Dec. 31 at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta. Kickoff will be at 8 p.m. on ESPN.

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