Former Quitman standout Moore discusses first year of FBS play

Published 10:56 pm Thursday, January 26, 2017

When hearing former Quitman High School defensive standout Tarvarius Moore describe his first taste of Division I action, the 20-year-old’s recount rolls off his tongue as if it just happened. Despite it occurring nearly four months ago, time surely hasn’t washed away the moment from his memory. 

After graduating from Quitman in 2014 and enjoying a stop at Pearl River Community College, Moore found himself standing on Southern Miss’ sideline at the University of Kentucky’s Commonwealth Stadium last September for USM’s season-opening game against the Wildcats. 

The Golden Eagles’ defense forced Kentucky into a third-and-long in the first quarter, and Moore was told it was his time to take the field.

“We had a three-way rotation with the safeties, so the first game of the season I actually got playing time,” he said. “My nerves were running, and (my) adrenaline was at its high. I was just really trying to make sure that I had my eyes on my key, and make sure that I did everything that I could do to not let my teammates down. (The play) didn’t come my way, but I can remember just being on edge the whole series I was out there, making sure I was on my Ps and Qs.” 

Moore finished the game with a tackle, and Southern Miss defeated SEC member Kentucky 44-35. After playing at Quitman and Pearl River’s Dobie Holden Stadium, Moore said he instantly knew upon entering the Wildcats’ unfamiliar confines that Division I football was a pressure cooker on another level.

“When we first got in the stadium, you could tell it was different,” he said. “Just the atmosphere was different. I really just tried to take it all in, because you never know when it could be your last. So, I just really tried to take it all in and feel the energy from the crowd, and was just amazed.”

While some recruits mull over their collegiate choices, Moore said he always wanted to land in Hattiesburg, as its proximity to Quitman — and the opportunity for his family members to continue to watch him play — was appealing. Such was the case in Lexington, Ky., last September, as his mother, LaTasha Moore, and his grandfather and most ardent supporter, Willie B. Moore, were in attendance to watch him play his first snap as a member of Southern Miss’ football team.

“I always wanted to come to USM straight out of high school; I didn’t get the opportunity and ended up going to Pearl River and had a wonderful time there,” he said. “I have lots of family around, and I always wanted them to be able to come to my games, and I just wanted to stay close to home. So, USM was a great choice for me.”

Moore arrived at USM in spring of 2016 and said he quickly knew things would be different.

“The demanding work ethic that is required at the D-I level,” Moore said of the difference between JUCO and Division I football. “There are no days off, and competition is always at its highest level, so you always have to be on your game. You always have to be working and making sure your body is in tip-top shape to compete. It’s competition every day, because you never know when your number is going to be called, so you just have to be ready.”

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound safety balanced the increased workload on the field, along with his kinesiology coursework during the season, and entered Southern Miss’ Dec. 17 New Orleans Bowl having tallied 13 total tackles. He also recorded an interception at LSU. 

Moore carried that experience into his team’s bowl contest against Louisiana-Lafayette, where he crafted his season’s magnum opus. He recalled the play that defined his year. 

“It was a long drive — I remember that,” he said. “We were all tired; it was a tough game. They were marching down the field. They were actually in the red zone almost about to score. I can just remember talking to my cornerback — Curtis Mikell — the play before. He was just like, ‘Watch my back. I have a feeling the ball the ball is coming this way,’”

With the score tied at 14 with Louisiana-Lafayette holding possession of the football at USM’s 22-yard line on first-and-10, Rajin’ Cajuns quarterback Anthony Jennings, coincidentally an LSU transfer, dropped back to pass. Jennings set up near USM’s 30-yard line and rifled a pass to wide receiver Michael Jacquet. As Jacquet raced to the goal line, Moore matched him for step, turned around in front of the receiver at the 3-yard line and leaped into the air to snatch the football. He came down with it at the 1-yard line and shuffled backward into the end zone, where he took a knee.

“I went up for it, I caught it, and I can just remember all of my teammates — we were just celebrating in the end zone,” Moore said. “They were like ‘Thank you, because we were tired. We needed that.’ It was a good feeling.”

In addition to the interception, Moore finished the New Orleans Bowl with four tackles and a pass deflection. Southern Miss went on to win 28-21, capping a 7-6 season.

Moore said he and his teammates are carrying the momentum of last year’s 7-win season into his senior year. 

“(We’re) getting better each and every day,” Moore said. “My teammates and I, the senior group, I think we have a great group. We take the weight room seriously, and we’re taking this season very seriously. Any chance we can get to be on the field, we take it. Any opportunity to get on the field, we take it.”