FootballScoop is proud to announce that Glen Elarbee is the 2018 FootballScoop Offensive Line Coach of the Year presented by AstroTurf as selected by prior winners.
You don't go undefeated two years in a row without a solid offensive line, and for the second straight season the UCF line was the fortress no opponent could break.
UCF was once again prolific and efficient at the same time, the Knights averaged 276.5 rushing yards per game and 268.9 passing yards per game, putting their 545.4 total yards per game at third in FBS and their 7.08 yards per play at eighth. They are the only team in the nation to rank among the top five nationally in rushing and the top 30 in passing; in fact, none of the other top five rushing teams rank higher than 50th in passing, and three rank 125th or lower.
Quarterback McKenzie Milton placed 10th nationally in passing efficiency, hitting 59.2 percent of his passes for 2,663 yards with 25 touchdowns while rushing for 307 yards and nine touchdowns. Greg McCrae led the Knights' ground efforts with 1,101 yards, while four other players carried for at least 250 yards.
When Milton went down for the season, backup quarterback Darriel Mack stepped in and led UCF to the American championship with 407 yards seven touchdowns against Memphis
Needless to say, none of success would be possible without Elarbee's offensive line.
The Knights allowed just 14 sacks on the season, 14th fewest in the country, and ranked in the top 10 with only 53 TFLs allowed -- on 925 total snaps. That consistent excellence allowed UCF to rank second in first downs at 27.5 per game.
UCF was also a top 15 unit in the red zone, scoring 19 touchdowns in 39 total trips.
UCF placed four of its five starters on the All-AAC teams. Center Jordan Johnson, tackle Jake Brown and guard Cole Schneider were First Team performers, while tackle Wyatt Miller made the Second Team.
A two-time All-Sun Belt player at Middle Tennessee, Elarbee climbed the coaching ranks through three separate graduate assistantships at his alma mater, LSU (where the helped the Tigers win the 2007 national title) and Oklahoma State in 2008-09, plus stints at East Central Community College and West Georgia. He previously coached offensive lines for Middle Tennessee, Arkansas State and Missouri, where in 2017 he helped Josh Heupel take home the 2017 FootballScoop Offensive Coordinator of the Year award. This is his first season at UCF.
The FootballScoop Coaches of the Year awards presented by AstroTurf are the only set of awards that recognize the most outstanding position coaches in college football. The finalists (Bill Bedenbaugh [Oklahoma], Brent Key [Alabama], Mason Miller [Washington State], Mason Miller [Washington State], Sam Pittman [Georgia], Ryan Silverfield [Memphis] and Elarbee) were selected based off of nominations by coaches, athletic directors, and athletic department personnel. The prior winners selected this year's winner.
Elarbee will receive his award and be recognized at an event at the AFCA Convention in January.
Previous winners of the Offensive Line Coach of the Year award are Steve Greatwood (Oregon, 2008), Tony Wise (Pittsburgh, 2009), Bob Bostad (Wisconsin, 2010) Greg Studrawa (LSU, 2011), Ed Warinner (Ohio State, 2012 and 2014), Mike Bloomgren (Stanford, 2013), Tom Manning (Toledo, 2015), Brian Callahan/Bill Kenney (Western Michigan, 2016) and Bill Bedenbaugh (Oklahoma, 2017).
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