Indiana Football DB Louis Moore Thriving with Court Case 'Off His Shoulders'

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — In the Southwest corner of Oregon's Autzen Stadium, Indiana football safety Louis Moore was the last to rise from a mass of cream-clad Hoosiers praying in the endzone.

Prayer is a pre-game ritual for Moore. For the first month of the season, the sixth-year senior didn't know how many more chances he'd get to do it.

Moore needed three temporary restraining orders just to finish fall camp and play in the first four games of the season. His attorney, Brian P. Lauten, won a court case against the NCAA to grant Moore eligibility for the remainder of the year after arguments over his two seasons at community college counting toward his four-year eligibility bank.

At the time of Moore's season-long injunction, he led Indiana in tackles and was tied for the team lead in interceptions. In the two games since, he's recorded critical fourth quarter interceptions in road wins over Iowa and Oregon.

Now playing with a clearer head and the comfort of getting a full year to play, Moore's game has reached another level.

"I mean, he can just focus in on his preparation now," Cignetti said on the Inside Indiana Football radio show with Don Fischer. "He's made some plays for us every single game. He's capable of playing that much better. And I think with this thing off his shoulders, it will help him."

Moore is second on the team with 37 tackles, trailing only senior linebacker Aiden Fisher's 39. With four interceptions, Moore leads the Hoosiers and ranks tied for No. 3 nationally. Moore is one of six FBS players with four-plus interceptions and one of two in the Big Ten, joining USC's Bishop Fitzgerald.

Productivity hasn't been an issue for Moore. His habits, however, drew Cignetti's ire during the early portion of the season.

Cignetti said after Week 2 that Moore needed to prepare better, practice better and play with more urgency. The 64-year-old coach said after Week 4 that Moore and fellow safeties Amare Ferrell and Devan Boykin needed to "prepare a little better, see what's going on, make the proper adjustments, communicate quicker and be where they're supposed to be."

Indiana's secondary has been susceptible to big plays this season. The Hoosiers have allowed only five touchdowns this season, and four of them — two long runs in Week 1 by Old Dominion and passing scores from Illinois and Oregon — have been 40 yards or longer. Indiana has given up just one redzone score this year.

The Hoosiers had a coverage breakdown in their upset win over Oregon, but they held the Ducks' offense — Oregon's defense had a pick-six against Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza — to 13 points and limited Heisman Trophy candidate Dante Moore to just 186 passing yards and a season-worst 61.8 percent completion rate. Moore also threw two interceptions.

Indiana's Moore, meanwhile, had eight tackles — a new season-high and the most by any non-Hoosier linebacker. Moore has 37 total tackles this year, the sixth-most among all Big Ten defensive backs.

He's also been a valuable veteran mentor as the oldest, most seasoned voice in the secondary, and All-American cornerback D'Angelo Ponds said Moore did a good job of "playing free" even before his court case found a resolution.

"He's an experienced guy," Ponds said Tuesday. "I feel like his experience, he's seen stuff well, so that's why he can find the ball. He definitely has (taught me some things), just formation recognition and stuff like that."

When Indiana entered the locker room for the final time during pre-game warmups before facing Kennesaw State in Week 2, Moore took his helmet off and was amongst the last to join the long line of Hoosiers walking into the bowels of Memorial Stadium's Northwest corner.

At the time, Moore didn't know if he'd get another chance to play. Another chance to go through pre-game warmups with his friends. Another chance for a pre-game prayer.

Then, suddenly, Moore turned a slow stroll into an intentional jog. Enough of the sentimental moments. It was time for business. He hasn't stopped since. Now, with legal matters behind and his future clear, Moore is full speed ahead.