Ricco Moore knows the ins and outs of Kansas Wesleyan's defense as well as anyone on the team and, for that matter, anyone who has been in the program.

Moore came to KWU as a freshman in 2020. He played in the secondary and outside linebacker his first three seasons before moving to inside linebacker this season where he has become an integral part of the unit and one of the veteran leaders.

Not bad for a guy considered by some to be too small (5-foot-10, 200 pounds) to have an impact.

"I like contact," Moore said. "I've always been the short guy on the field and I've got a chip on my shoulder."

That chip has served him and KWU well. Moore's 29 tackles lead the Coyotes after he finished third a year with 49 stops behind departed senior linebackers DeVante Gabriel and Lucas Rockford last fall.

The football part is the same this season but Moore is viewed in a different light by his teammates, many of them new to the roster and Wesleyan.

"I've just been trying to mentor the young ones," he said. "Remind everybody 'one team, one heartbeat'. Make sure they're in good spirits, make sure they understand what they're doing.

"This is the first time I've been an inside linebacker so I had to go back to DeVante and ask him 'how can I help lead and just pick them up?'"

Moore is one of five veterans on the defense along with rush linebacker Ricardo Garcia, end Josh King-Bradley, safety Julian Urioste and cornerback My'Kell Barnett. He also part of a revamped linebacking corps with newcomers Quatama Massaquoi, Deyondre Gomez and Shaylan Lewis.

"People can come to us for advice or if they don't understand something," Moore said.

It appears to be working. Through three games that includes No. 25 Evangel and No. 9 Southwestern opposing offenses are averaging 14.7 points and 277.3 total yards per game.

"From the first game to now there has been a big improvement on the D-line," Moore said. "It is early so we're still learning things; you learn something new every day. People get opportunities to get in and showcase their skills and production."

Moore credits KWU coach Matt Myers, who was his defensive coordinator the first two years and is in his second season as head coach but helps with the defense.

"It's been development since I've been here," Moore said. "He's helped me change positions. He's leaned on me and I've accepted the roles. He always pushes us to buy in and we go out there play fast, violent and physical. Having him back on the defensive side is a win for us."

"Ricco plays with verticality and violence," Myers said.

The KWU defense endured a difficult first half during last week's 24-3 loss to Southwestern in Winfield. Halftime adjustments stemmed the tide as the Coyotes held the Moundbuilders scoreless and just 85 total yards the final 30 minutes.

"We went back to the drawing board and coaches made some adjustments to the D-line and we just went with it," Moore said. "The (Southwestern offensive line) was getting up to (the linebackers) too fast so we couldn't really shake the blocks. When we made the switch in the second half it was easier for us to make tackles."

Moore and the Coyotes face another daunting challenge Saturday when Friends (3-0) comes to Gene Bissell Field at JRI Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex for a 6 p.m. Kansas Conference game.

The Falcons have been an offensive juggernaut this season under second-year coach Terry Harrison, who previously coached at Bethel. His Flex Bone offense has been virtually unstoppable, averaging 55.7 points and 533 yards – 494 rushing – per game. Seven Falcons have gained at least 124 yards rushing.

The triple option attack is nothing new to Moore, though.

"Me personally I'm kind of used to it," he said. "I've played against it four times since I've been here so I know what to anticipate. They perform it to a tee. They've got some dudes over there but we've got some dudes here too.

"Just do your assignment, be disciplined and don't try to beat a superhero. Don't try to do somebody else's job, you have to do your job. This is a very difficult and tough game but a good opportunity for us."