BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football safety Louis Moore didn’t let his uncertain future impact his performance in a 27-14 win over Old Dominion on Saturday, Aug. 30.
Moore had a team-high seven tackles (four solo) and came through with an interception in the second quarter that helped the Hoosiers extend their lead before halftime in what was a one-possession game.
“It’s very meaningful,” said Moore in a post-game radio interview with IU broadcaster Don Fischer.
Moore, who spent the first three years of his career at Navarro College, is challenging the NCAA’s JUCO eligibility rules. The court has put a temporary restraining order in place that will keep Moore on the field for IU’s first two games, but he will need to win an additional injunction at a hearing on Sept. 10 to remain eligible through the rest of the season.
He’s been working through the process since the NCAA rejected his initial waiver to play back in June. The organization has faced a series of lawsuits across the country from players like Moore who thought they would be eligible in the wake of the Diego Pavlia case.
Moore didn’t let any of that be a distraction as IU prepared for the 2025 season.
“I feel like he’s handled this situation pretty well,” fellow safety Amare Ferrell said. “He’s really the only player that knows about it as much as him. Everyday coming in and continues to work like he is going to play this year.”
It was a much-needed performance for IU, which was short-handed at the position with Byron Baldwin Jr. listed on the team’s availability report and Bryson Bonds suffering a leg injury in the first half. He was seen on the sidelines late in the game on crutches.
The win over Old Dominion was also a homecoming for Moore, who played for IU from 2022-23. He returned to Bloomington after an injury-filled 2024 season with Ole Miss.
“No brainer for me,” Moore told Fischer of his decision to come back.
Moore praised the program’s turnaround under coach Curt Cignetti and mentioned the remarkable culture change that took place while he was gone.
“The way they run things, I’m very appreciative, everyone knows the standard and meets the standard,” Moore said. “Everybody is accountable for their actions. It’s a beautiful thing.”
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Indiana football safety Louis Moore boosts secondary against ODU in face of uncertain playing future
Reporting by Michael Niziolek, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
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