Penn State Offensive Line Wins National Pancake Award
Penn State's offensive line overwhelmed Iowa last week to the tune of 215 rushing yards and more than 45 minutes of possession time. But none of the Lions' 97 plays was as entertaining as this one.
That's Penn State quarterback Drew Allar gaining 6 yards on a 4th-and-1 sneak in his team's 31-0 victory over the Hawkeyes. Allar ran several other sneaks in the game, including one on second down that gained 4 yards, but this generated national attention. And it earned the offensive line a national pancake prize.
The Joe Moore Award, which recognizes the nation's top offensive line each year, awarded Penn State's entire line its Pancake Block of the Week award. The Joe Moore committee highlights a particularly dominant pancake block each week to recognize the offensive linemen who toil in muck and anonymity. For the first time, that award went to an entire offensive line.
It's difficult to pick a most-dominant lineman in that pile, since everyone got in on the action. But left tackle Olu Fashanu, the Outland Trophy's National Player of the Week, drove his matchup about 10 yards downfield. Quarterback Drew Allar certainly appreciates running sneaks behind that line.
"The quarterback sneaks are fun," Allar said. "You definitely take some hits on that, but the offensive line does a great job getting that initial push. It's a fun play to run."
Penn State's coaching staff named the offensive line as its combined player of the game on offense. The line returns to the field Saturday at Northwestern, where the unbeaten Lions are 27-point favorites.
The Joe Moore Award committee will release its finalists for top offensive line in early December. Michigan has won the last two awards.
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