Sherrone Moore evaluates pressure on offensive line after back-to-back Joe Moore awards

Michigan had one of the most dominant offensive lines in recent memory over the last two seasons. So there’s no question that the Wolverines group in 2023 has pressure after winning two straight Joe Moore awards.

Offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore isn’t worried. But the Michigan assistant added it can no longer be a goal, but a standard to be set for the team.

Moore joined the MGoBlue Podcast and discussed what he expects from the offensive line this season.

“Yeah, I think it’s, you know, now it’s just the standard,” Moore said. “Not necessarily winning the award every year but standard level of play. We feel like we’ve raised the standard, raised the bar and kind of brought it back to the Michigan lines of old. The great offensive lines that have been here and that was my number one goal when I took over the position, I told the guys that the standard that we’re holding ourselves to is not accountable to the greats that have played here. That’s really what we’re trying to do and what we’ve been doing the past few years and that’s not going to change.”

There’s no question the line is solid. They protected quarterback J.J. McCarthy quite well and opened up running lanes for Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards in the run game.

So much so, Edwards torched Ohio State in the season finale amid a career year for the budding superstar.

Sherrone Moore explains balance between Blake Corum, Donovan Edwards

Michigan has one of, if not the best backfield in the country with these two guys. Moore explained how to balance both backs in the offense.

“Yeah, the cool thing is, it’s like there’s a whole bunch of puzzle pieces,” Moore said on the MGoBlue Podcast. “You’re trying to fit them all together and to make this masterpiece of, you know, what we want this offense to look like. And when you have two dynamic players like that, you have to figure out ways to get them the ball in different ways. 

“I’m not gonna tell you (what) those ways (are), maybe we could talk about it off the mic, but I think we have some really creative things that we’re doing with those guys because they are special talents. But at the same time, being very smart with how we do it and when we do it, and how we’re attacking people. So, just excited to put them in their different positions because we’ll have a great plan and we’re starting that right now.”