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<a name="_Hlk490052374"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS –
</span></b></a><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Nov. 23, 2021<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Baylor FB’s Offensive Line Named Joe Moore Award Semifinalist<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">BU’s unit is one of 13 semifinalists for outstanding offensive line award<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">For more information contact:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> Max Calderone, 254-265-1639,
</span><a href="mailto:Max_Calderone@Baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Max_Calderone@Baylor.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">
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<b>NEW YORK – </b>Baylor football’s offensive line unit has been named one of 13 semifinalists for the 2021 Joe Moore Award, as announced Tuesday by The Foundation for Teamwork.<br>
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The award honors the nation’s most outstanding offensive line unit in college football, judged solely on six criteria: toughness, effort, teamwork, consistency, technique and finishing.<b><br>
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</b>Through 11 games in 2021, Baylor’s offense ranks second nationally with 5.69 yards per rush and 14<sup>th</sup> nationally with 6.71 yards per play. The Bears lead the Big 12 and rank eighth nationally with just 1.00 sacks allowed per game this season,
including just five sacks allowed over the last six games. BU’s O-Line has paved the way for 26 rushing plays of 20+ yards, tied for the third-most in the country.<br>
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Under first-year offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes and O-Line coach Eric Mateos, BU has increased its rushing production by 157% from last season, raising its rushing average from 90.3 yards per game (123<sup>rd</sup> nationally) to 231.7 yards per game (5<sup>th</sup>
nationally). Senior running back Abram Smith ranks among the nation’s best in yards per carry (5<sup>th</sup>, 6.75), total rushing (6<sup>th</sup>, 1,249) and rushing touchdowns (32<sup>nd</sup>, 11).<br>
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Baylor has started four of the same offensive linemen across all 11 games this season in LT Connor Galvin, LG Xavier Newman-Johnson, C Jacob Gall and RG Grant Miller. The four have combined for a total of 119 starts across their careers. At the RT spot, Gavin
Byers started the first eight games of the year, with Khalil Keith coming in to start the most recent three.<br>
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BU, the only Big 12 unit named a semifinalist, is joined on the list by representatives from five other FBS conferences: Big Ten (4), Mountain West (1), Pac-12 (2), SEC (3) and Sun Belt (2).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Finalists for the 2021 Joe Moore Award will be named on Tuesday, Dec. 7. The eventual winner will be recognized in the ensuing weeks during a
surprise, on-campus visit to the receiving unit’s school.<br>
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The Joe Moore Award voting committee is comprised of 13 individuals who are highly knowledgeable about offensive line play, including former linemen, coaches, talent evaluators and media analysts. The group conducts in-depth analysis by reviewing game tape
every week of the season to assess both the fundamentals and subtleties of overall O-line performance.<br>
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For the latest news on the Baylor football team, follow its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BUFootball.<br>
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<b><u>2021 JOE MOORE AWARD SEMIFINALISTS</u></b><br>
Air Force<br>
Arkansas<br>
Appalachian State<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Baylor<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Georgia<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Kentucky<br>
Louisiana<br>
Ohio State<br>
Michigan<br>
Michigan State<br>
Oregon<br>
Oregon State<br>
Wisconsin<b><br>
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<i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">-BaylorBears.com-</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"-webkit-standard",serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black">__________________________________</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:6.5pt;color:black"> </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#154734">Max Calderone</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"> | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (BSB, FB, EQ)</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">C: 254-265-1639</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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