Citrus Bowl Provides Purdue Running Back Devin Mockobee Chance for Another Milestone

In 12 games for the Boilermakers so far this season, Mockobee set the program record for the most yards on the ground by a freshman in school history and will have a chance to add to his numbers when the team takes on No. 16 LSU in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on Jan. 2 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. 

Mockobee has carried the football 182 times for 920 yards rushing and nine touchdowns on the year. He's registered four 100-yard performances this season, including another Purdue freshman record when he ran for 178 yards and a score on 30 attempts in a 43-37 victory over Nebraska. 

With key offensive contributors in Aidan O'Connell, Payne Durham and Charlie Jones opting out of the team's bowl matchup, Mockobee's role is sure to expand as the program looks to win nine games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1997 and 1998. 

"It's a huge deal. To go down there and put our best foot forward, these guys are excited," Purdue interim head coach Brian Brohm said. "The ones that have been playing are excited to get out there and have this opportunity. The guys that might get a bigger role because somebody else stepped away, they're chomping at the bit to show what they can do." 

Mockobee is just 80 yards away from becoming just the seventh player in program history to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season. With one game left to reach that milestone, he has that goal within his grasp. 

The last Purdue running back to reach 1,000 yards was Kory Sheets back in 2008. He ran for 1,131 yards rushing on 234 attempts while also scoring 16 touchdowns on the ground. Mockobee is poised the join a prestigious list that includes the likes of Sheets, Mike Alstott and Otis Armstrong. 

"It's definitely going to be a big game, especially as we have guys opt out, other guys' roles sort of get bigger and other guys have to step up," Mockobee said. "But I'm 80 away from 1,000, and that's my goal. I'm definitely trying to hit that." 

For Mockobee, he's in a position he wouldn't even have been able to envision a year ago. He's gone from not even dressing for games to being the lead back for a team that captured its first Big Ten West title in program history. 

From here on out, it's about getting better every year, and he said part of that equation is to add weight and strength. But no matter the outcome of 2022, he'll be back in West Lafayette next season under Walters to begin a new era of Purdue football. 

"I can't say I'm not happy with the way that it's going," Mockobee said. "But I don't know, I'm just glad to see that I've been able to do what I think that I've been able to do the whole time."