ORLANDO (UCFKnights.com) – FootballScoop announced Friday that UCF’s Glen Elarbee is the 2018 FootballScoop Offensive Line Coach of the Year presented by AstroTurf, as selected by prior winners.
With Elarbee at the helm of the offensive line, the Knights offense was excellent once again in 2018, going an undefeated 11-0 in the regular season before defeating Memphis in the American Athletic Conference Championship to improve to 12-0 before earning a spot in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl.
UCF averaged 276.5 rushing yards per game and 268.9 passing yards per game, putting their 545.4 yards per play at eighth in the nation. The Knights are the only team in the nation to rank among the top five nationally in rushing and the top 30 in passing.
Quarterback McKenzie Milton ranked 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 UCF ground attack with 1,101 yards.
When Milton went down for the season, quarterback Darriel Mack Jr. stepped in and led the Knights to the conference championship with 407 yards and six total touchdowns to earn the game’s MVP honor. None of this success would be possible without Elarbee’s offensive line.
The Knights allowed just 14 sacks on the season, the 14th fewest in the country, and ranked in the top 10 with only 53 tackles-for-loss allowed.
UCF placed four of its five offensive line starters on all-conference teams. Center Jordan Johnson, tackle Jake Brown and guard Cole Schneider were first team selections, with Schneider also earning Freshman All-America honors. Wyatt Miller was also a second team all-conference honoree.
The previous winners of the FootballScoop Offensive Line Coach of the Year selected Elarbee as this year’s winner. He will receive his award and be recognized at an event at the AFCA Convention in January.