UTSA outside linebacker Trey Moore came one sack short of tying the school record for sacks in a game in the Roadrunners’ 20-13 win over rivals Texas State on Saturday. Moore brought down Bobcat quarterback TJ Finley three times during the game.
Those three sacks brought Moore, a San Antonio native and alumnus of Smithson Valley High School, up to four on the season, tied with UCLA’s Laiatu Latu for the most sacks in the country. Moore has been a key contributor for a Roadrunner defense that limited Houston to 17 points and Texas State to 13 points in the first two games this season.
“We know we got to get pressure and get the quarterback,” Moore said. “Really just continuing to be relentless, to fight and get the quarterback.”
Moore is just in his second full season as a Roadrunner, but he is already making a move into the Roadrunner record book for defense. Last year as a redshirt freshman, Moore set a new school single season record with 18 tackles for loss.
Eight of those tackles for loss by Moore were sacks of opposing quarterbacks, 2½ sacks short of the school record for sacks in a season set by Clarence Hicks in 2021. Moore might be pushing toward records, but he sees himself as just one part of the defense, which is one part of the triangle of toughness.
“We talk about the triangle all the time, and the first part of that triangle is being physical on defense. Defense comes first,” Moore said. “We’ve got to stop them before we can do anything else. If we don’t stop their offense, it makes it very hard for our offense to try to carry the game on their back. No one’s carrying anybody. We’re all part of this together.”
Moore played three games in 2021 before earning a redshirt to preserve his eligibility. He didn’t have any sacks in his short stint as a true freshman before bursting onto the scene last year.
So far this year, Moore has an average of two sacks a game. If he keeps that pace he would shatter the school record for sacks in a season, as well as the career record for sacks by a Roadrunner.
“Trey is relentless, he’s very quick and athletic,” UTSA Head Coach Jeff Traylor said. “We do our best to put him in positions that we think are favorable for him to have success.”
The current career sack leader is Marcus Davenport, who had 22 sacks in four years before being the Roadrunners first ever first round pick in the NFL draft. The New Orleans Saints took Davenport 14th overall in the 2018 draft. He played the first five seasons of his career for the Saints before signing with the Minnesota Vikings this offseason.
Moore currently sits at 23 tackles for loss and 12 sacks for his Roadrunner career. He has 10 games to go, starting with Army on Friday night, to push for the school records in both categories.
“Trey is a really good pass rusher and a good leader on our defense,” UTSA defensive lineman Trumane Bell said. “He’s an X-factor on our defense and I know he’s going to keep on getting better each and every week.”
As this is his third season removed from high school, Moore will be eligible to enter the NFL draft next spring. A strong season this year could lead to Moore’s name being called in the draft. If that happens he would become the fifth Roadrunner selected in the NFL draft.
