ADVERTISEMENT

Mockobee

Yes....haha, reminds me of another classic incident with my buddies from those years - the 1994 game with Iowa in Ross-Ade.

Purdue was pounding with Alstott early and often and dominated the first three quarters leading 13-0. Then Iowa got some big plays along with some Purdue mistakes (imagine that?) and took a 21-13 lead. Purdue gets a TD on a great play from Dicken and Alford and controversial conversion to tie @ 21. If replay were avilable back then, it probably would have been overturned as Dicken looked just short. Then when the Hawkeyes get stuffed on 4th down, the Boilers had a shot to win in the last minutes, taking over around their 40 yd line. Rogers and a big run from Alstott put Purdue in the red zone and close to victory. My one friend among us four with season tickets would go nuts with Alstott runs.....he of course wanted nothing more than an Alstott run for the winning TD. What followed? Of course, tied 21-21, Purdue plays a little conservatively inside the 20. Meanwhile our friend is saying "I don't like this.....it's no sure thing with a FG."

Seven seconds left, and Purdue lines up for a 30-yd FG attempt from Brad Bobich.

annnnd of course the FG is wide left, and our buddy erupts - had never seen him lose it like that - "HE MISSED IT!!!! I KNEWWWWW IT!!!! and then several expletives followed as he was just beat red. "Ya got the best damn back and ya do THAT! %^&$#@!" For an instant, the disappointment from the tie vanished as we were just trying to calm him down.

We still laugh about it to this day......oh those were the days........ :)
That was the year with 2 ties. The other Wisconsin I think.
 
He has a very unique running style. I'm trying to think who he reminds me of.

1200x0.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: TX4GB
There is only one Earl Campbell. Luv Ya Blue!

Right there with you.....that play against the Rams was the quintessential highlight of his powerful style, IMO. I remember watching that game when CBS had the NFC games....Isiah Robertson was a perennial Pro-Bowler on that stout Rams defense, and Big Earl just destroyed him and almost ran out of his pads as the rest of the Los Angeles defense tried to corral him.

His company's smoked sausage wasn't too bad either. :)

GoodnaturedBelovedImperatorangel-size_restricted.gif
 
Right there with you.....that play against the Rams was the quintessential highlight of his powerful style, IMO. I remember watching that game when CBS had the NFC games....Isiah Robertson was a perennial Pro-Bowler on that stout Rams defense, and Big Earl just destroyed him and almost ran out of his pads as the rest of the Los Angeles defense tried to corral him.

His company's smoked sausage wasn't too bad either. :)

GoodnaturedBelovedImperatorangel-size_restricted.gif
The Tyler 🌹 Rose. Nice town in East Texas.
 
That was a heck of a backfield with Corey Rogers and Alstott (Chicago connection):
1993 - Rogers 746 yards 4 TDs
Alstott 816 yards 12 TDs 407 receiving 2 TDs

1994 - Rogers 764 yards 10 TDs
Alstott 1188 yards 14 TDs

1995 - Rogers 424 yards 8 TDs
Alstott 1436 yards 11 TDs

Talk about ball control. We should have been in a few bowls during that era.
They had some legit talent on those teams...I still remember some (in hindsight, ridiculous) talk about them maybe getting to a Rose Bowl in the very early 90s, and, they never even went to a Bowl game (to your point).

Zgonina...Peyton Minter...Frank Kment...Rogers...Alstott...and, others...Purdue was getting some genuine talent out of Chicago/Illinois, and, had absolutely nothing to show for it unfortunately in the end.

I obviously did not get to see Leroy...or Otis Armstrong...but, Alstott was as good a back as I have seen at/for Purdue and he was indeed special, and, a great deal of fun to watch (never mind, just an awesome dude on top of it). Some of what he did was legendary with respect to working out and training...only other guy that rivaled it was Biggie...further testament to why they were as good as they both were.
 
  • Like
Reactions: drewjin and TX4GB
Yes....haha, reminds me of another classic incident with my buddies from those years - the 1994 game with Iowa in Ross-Ade.

Purdue was pounding with Alstott early and often and dominated the first three quarters leading 13-0. Then Iowa got some big plays along with some Purdue mistakes (imagine that?) and took a 21-13 lead. Purdue gets a TD on a great play from Dicken and Alford and controversial conversion to tie @ 21. If replay were avilable back then, it probably would have been overturned as Dicken looked just short. Then when the Hawkeyes get stuffed on 4th down, the Boilers had a shot to win in the last minutes, taking over around their 40 yd line. Rogers and a big run from Alstott put Purdue in the red zone and close to victory. My one friend among us four with season tickets would go nuts with Alstott runs.....he of course wanted nothing more than an Alstott run for the winning TD. What followed? Of course, tied 21-21, Purdue plays a little conservatively inside the 20. Meanwhile our friend is saying "I don't like this.....it's no sure thing with a FG."

Seven seconds left, and Purdue lines up for a 30-yd FG attempt from Brad Bobich.

annnnd of course the FG is wide left, and our buddy erupts - had never seen him lose it like that - "HE MISSED IT!!!! I KNEWWWWW IT!!!! and then several expletives followed as he was just beat red. "Ya got the best damn back and ya do THAT! %^&$#@!" For an instant, the disappointment from the tie vanished as we were just trying to calm him down.

We still laugh about it to this day......oh those were the days........ :)
Wait, are we "buddies"?

That was EXACTLY my own thoughts...and, reaction...I was SO upset.
 
Mockobee is better than dierking. He’s bigger, faster and more elusive. I really can’t think of a Purdue comparison. Maybe Floyd Little of the Denver Bronchos for you old timers.
Referencing the 68-yard run, he reminded me of Northwestern's all-time leading rusher, Justin Jackson. Not the greatest top-end speed (but good enough), shiftiness, and great acceleration. Also, his "exaggerated" moves (between the Purdue 35 -45 yard-lines), dodging in and backing out of holes, reminded me of OJ Simpson's running style. The Purdue analog, and I'm going on a general and very foggy memory, might be Montrell Lowe. The thing I really loved about Mockobee was when his teammates came up to congratulate him, he wasn't in the mood to celebrate. He had some unfinished business to take care of, which he did on the ensuing play. I think this young man has some great leadership skills (also evidenced by his acceptance to the Naval Academy). I only wish he had been at the right place to intervene during the Syracuse game. It might be asking a bit much from a red-shirt freshman, but I think he is going to have a brilliant career at Purdue.
 
Last edited:
Speed in the backfield is really a game changer. I have no idea what his top speed really is, but 4.5 seems accurate. He also has some quickness and shiftiness to him that is great. All of that being said, his greatest asset IMO is his vision and ability to set up the blocks.

Mockobee is a good player. I think that’s the type of RB we need rather than the bruisers Brohm has been trying to bring in. Give me the 200 point guys that can take it to the house all day.
This.

I don't get the comparison to the slow bruising type backs. Mockobee was a state champion in the long jump and state runner up in the 110 meter hurdles and is 6' 195 pounds. Totally different kind of athlete than Alstott or Horvath.

“He just kind of has some elusiveness to him and a little bit of speed and quick-twitch that it’s great to have,” Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm said about Mockobee after the ISU game.

Different kind of back than we've had in the last few years. I like what I see,
 
Anyone know Mock's best 40 time?
He's also shown to be able to catch the ball and that's important to have AOC have confidence in the RBs as check down options.
 
honestly this kid should be our 1st string RB based on his performances right now. He has shown he can do it against B1G teams. Give him 1st string reps all week in practice to help him with pass blocking and give him more snaps moving forward.
 
honestly this kid should be our 1st string RB based on his performances right now. He has shown he can do it against B1G teams. Give him 1st string reps all week in practice to help him with pass blocking and give him more snaps moving forward.
I like all 3 of our backs
 
  • Like
Reactions: drewjin
I'm not sold on Downing or Lewis. Downing's numbers are inflated as a result of the ISU and Florida Atlantic games. In P5 games he has 68 yards on 24 carries.

Doerue looked good in his limited play this year and Mockobee seems to have something that has been missing the last few years.
 
I'm not sold on Downing or Lewis. Downing's numbers are inflated as a result of the ISU and Florida Atlantic games. In P5 games he has 68 yards on 24 carries.

Doerue looked good in his limited play this year and Mockobee seems to have something that has been missing the last few years.
Downing is also a reliable receiver out of the backfield - people often forget about that. Truth is, Downing has played better this year than Doerue did when he could play.
 
Right there with you.....that play against the Rams was the quintessential highlight of his powerful style, IMO. I remember watching that game when CBS had the NFC games....Isiah Robertson was a perennial Pro-Bowler on that stout Rams defense, and Big Earl just destroyed him and almost ran out of his pads as the rest of the Los Angeles defense tried to corral him.

His company's smoked sausage wasn't too bad either. :)

GoodnaturedBelovedImperatorangel-size_restricted.gif
I am shocked DES did not come over here & tell us how many times he had washed Campbells jock strap
 
  • Like
Reactions: SKYDOG
ADVERTISEMENT