OMAHA, Neb. - Baylor offensive lineman Spencer Drango was named one of six semifinalists for the 2014 Outland Trophy, the Greater Omaha Sports Committee announced on Thursday.

Drango is the leader for a Baylor offensive line that is part of the nation's top offense as the Bears are averaging 585.1 yards per game and scoring 50.1 points per contest.

The Cedar Park, Texas, product has helped Baylor's rushing offense blossom. BU is 23rd nationally and second in the Big 12 with an average of 230.9 rushing yards per game. Drango is also a key component in helping the Bears give up only 1.44 sacks per game.

Drango has a team-high coaches' grade average of 88.2 percent through the first nine games of the season. He has had at least two knockdowns in every game this year and has a total of 27.

The BU junior was named a midseason All-American by seven national media outlets.

The Outland Trophy has been awarded to the best interior lineman in college football on offense or defense since 1946. This is the second year that the award has recognized semifinalists.

Last season, Cyril Richardson was named a semifinalist and then a finalist for the honor. Before Richardson, Baylor last had a finalist for the honor in 1991 with defensive lineman Santana Dotson.

The field for the Outland Trophy will be reduced to three with an announcement on Nov. 25 on ESPNU. The winner of the 69th Outland Trophy will be revealed on Dec. 11 on ESPN during the College Football Awards from the Dance Hall on the Disney Boardwalk in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

The semifinalists were selected by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), in a call of its 2014 All-America Committee. The other five semifinalists up for the award include: Malcom Brown, Texas defensive tackle; Reese Dismukes, Auburn center; Jake Fisher, Oregon offensive tackle; Tre' Jackson, Florida State offensive guard and Brandon Scherff, Iowa offensive tackle.

BU is off to an 8-1 start to the season and a 5-1 league start. The Bears are ranked No. 6 in both the AP Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll.

The Bears will now face Oklahoma State on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in Waco. That game will be broadcast to a full national audience on FOX.

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