OMAHA (FWAA) Six semifinalists for the 2014 Outland Trophy · five offensive linemen and one defensive tackle · were announced on Thursday night during a reception hosted by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee.
The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), in a call of its 2014 All-America Committee, has determined the following six players as semifinalists for the award, in alphabetical order: Malcom Brown, Texas defensive tackle; Reese Dismukes, Auburn center; Spencer Drango, Baylor offensive tackle; Jake Fisher, Oregon offensive tackle; Tré Jackson, Florida State offensive guard; and Brandon Scherff, Iowa offensive tackle.
The field for the Outland Trophy, which is awarded to the best interior lineman in college football on offense or defense, will be reduced to three players early next week. Those finalists will be announced the evening of Nov. 25 on ESPNU from 6-6:30 pm ET during the College Football Awards Nomination Special. The winner of the 69th Outland Trophy will be revealed on Dec. 11 from 7-9 p.m. ET on ESPN on The Home Depot College Football Awards, live from the Atlantic Dance Hall on the Disney Boardwalk in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
The current candidates ...
Malcom Brown, DT, Texas (6-2, 320, Jr., Brenham, Texas): Brown leads the Longhorns with 6.5 sacks, a feat that hasn't been accomplished by a defensive tackle in a dozen years in Austin. He paces the squad with 14 tackles for loss and six quarterback pressures and has forced two fumbles and recovered one. In his most recent game, he had two sacks and forced a fumble in Texas' 28-7 victory at Oklahoma State that made the Longhorns (6-5) bowl-eligible. "Malcom is having an unbelievable season, an All-American year," Texas coach Charlie Strong said. "He's so fun to watch because he plays with great energy and is just a dominating player."
Reese Dismukes, C, Auburn (6-3, 295, Sr., Spanish Fort, Ala.): Dismukes has been the mainstay of the offensive line as a captain the last two seasons. He has started in 47 games over four seasons at Auburn. A much-heralded recruit out of high school, Dismukes is considered the glue of the offensive line that grinds out yards in a triple-option attack. Auburn's rushing offense ranks No. 8 in the country (272.8 yards per game), No. 18 in total offense (485.4) and 26th in scoring (35.5).
Spencer Drango, OT, Baylor (6-6, 310, Jr., Cedar Park, Texas): An imposing lineman for the explosive Baylor Bears, who lead the country in scoring offense (50.1 points per game) and total offense (585.1 yards per game) and third in passing offense (354.2 yards per game). Drango leads all Bears with 31 career starts. The Bears are 27th in pass protection in the country, allowing just 13 sacks as Drango fortifies at his left tackle spot.
Jake Fisher, OT, Oregon (6-6, 300, Sr., Traverse City, Mich.): When Fisher missed two games earlier in the season with a leg injury, Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Marcus Mariota was sacked 12 times and the Ducks lost to Arizona. He's a vital cog on the offensive line, where he has had to move to left tackle because of injuries to other players. Oregon ranks fifth in the FBS in total offense, producing 531.2 yards a game and a whopping 7.28 yards per play. He's a converted tight end who also has played guard.
Tr Jackson, OG, Florida State (6-4, 330, Sr., Jesup, Ga.): Florida State says Jackson "has the strength and agility to be a dominant force in both run-blocking and pass-blocking and has paved the way for (the) offense." He has started 22 straight games and 38 in his career. This season, he is a three-time ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week following games against N.C. State, Syracuse and Notre Dame. He has recorded the top grade among Florida State offensive linemen in eight of 10 games this season. The Seminoles rank 16th in scoring offense (37.1 points per game) and 11th in passing offense (318.1 yards per game).
Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa (6-5, 320, Sr., Denison, Iowa): Scherff has started 23 straight games at left tackle for the 7-3 Hawkeyes. In all, he has played in 41 games and started 33 of them. He has been a strong leader in his four seasons at Iowa. "Brandon came back for his senior year with a mission to prove, and I think he has done that," said Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz. "From a leadership standpoint, having a guy play at an NFL level on a college playing field has been important to our football team. The toughness he brings, the attention to detail, the physical nature of his play, he's pretty special."
The Outland Trophy, which has been awarded annually by the FWAA since 1946, is named after the late John Outland, an All-America lineman at the University of Pennsylvania in the late 1900s. The Outland Trophy is the third-oldest award in major college football behind the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award.
For the 18th consecutive year, the presentation banquet of the Outland Trophy will occur in Omaha. The official 2014 Outland Trophy presentation to the winner will be on Jan. 15, 2015 at a banquet sponsored by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee. At the same banquet, Notre Dame lineman Ross Browner will receive an Outland Trophy. He was the 1976 winner of the award before trophies were handed out by the FWAA.
The Outland Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 21 awards boast 699 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about our story.
The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization
founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,400 men and women who cover college football.
The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key
executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas
that include gameday operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For
more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson
at tiger@fwaa.com or 214-870-6516.
The Greater Omaha Sports Committee, founded in 1977, is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, consisting of more than 300 men and women from the City of Omaha and the State of Nebraska. The membership serves to communicate, develop, initiate and promote sports activities in the Greater Omaha sports area.
Related links:
2014 Preseason Outland Trophy Watch List
· All-time Outland Trophy winners
· Outland Trophy official site (outlandtrophy.com)