TALLAHASSEE – Led by six players with at least 30 career starts, Florida State was announced Tuesday as one of 12 semifinalists for the 2023 Joe Moore Award, given to the top offensive line unit in college football. The Seminoles are the only unit from the ACC to be recognized.
Led by offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Alex Atkins, Florida State averages 444.7 total yards of offense per game. Eight players make up the bulk of the Seminoles’ offensive line, including D’Mitri Emmanuel, with 48 career starts; Jeremiah Byers and Casey Roddick, with 40 starts; and Maurice Smith (37), Darius Washington (33) and Robert Scott Jr. (30).
Keiondre Jones (22) and Bless Harris (13) have also started double-digit games in their careers.
Harris was the ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week against No. 5 LSU, when he entered off the bench as FSU scored 31 consecutive points in the second half of the Noles 45-24 win. The Seminoles did not allow a sack to the Tigers for the second consecutive season.
Emmanuel was the co-ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week against Southern Miss as FSU ran for a season-high 306 yards and 8.3 yards per carry in a 66-13 win, and Washington won against Virginia Tech when FSU ran for 7.8 yards per carry, led by running back Trey Benson’s 200 yards on just 11 carries.
FSU held Boston College without a tackle for loss or sack. It was the first time against an FBS opponent – and just the second time in school history – that FSU did not allow a TFL in a game.
The Seminoles have the most experienced offensive line in the country, with all eight players on the two-deep depth chart playing at least their fourth year of college football. The Noles starting five last week against Miami combined for 198 starts.
The Joe Moore Award finalists will be named on Tuesday, December 5. The eventual winner will be recognized in the ensuing weeks during a surprise, on-campus visit to the winning unit’s school.
