Wake Forest beats Purdue
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Quarterback Gio Lopez rushed for both the game-tying touchdown and the game-winning two-point conversion to power the Wake Forest football team to a 38-36 road victory at Purdue in a double-overtime thriller inside Ross-Ade Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
@WakeFB gets a huge win over a B10 @BoilerFootball in a Double Overtime Thriller! @GreenvilleSM pic.twitter.com/CWeu9JxkIK
— GSM Sports (@GSM_Sports13) September 12, 2026
Lopez finished the game going 16-of-27 for 225 yards and a touchdown through the air. The Madison, Ala., native also found success on the ground as he finished with a team-high 59 rushing yards and two touchdowns against the Boilermakers.
YOU LIKE THAT?? pic.twitter.com/HG2WqQ2BMC
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) September 12, 2026
Wide receiver Carlos Hernandez led the Demon Deacons with six catches for 88 yards, including a miraculous 15-yard reception on fourth down in double overtime to set up the winning touchdown.
That's our quarterback 😤 pic.twitter.com/FhXXkanXsg
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) September 12, 2026
Elsewhere, Deuce Lawrence logged 45 yards on the ground, while Ty Clark III added 36 yards and a touchdown.
Had to have it 🫡 https://t.co/UlbnxyI68f pic.twitter.com/aOoFPpT93C
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) September 12, 2026
Defensively, three Demon Deacons recorded double-digit tackles, led by linebackers Aiden Hall and Vincent Firenze, who both ended the game with 11 tackles. Meanwhile, Davughn Patterson added 10 tackles, including three solo efforts.
In. Front. 😤 pic.twitter.com/1bZ7zpqAlJ
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) September 12, 2026
The Deacs put constant pressure on the Purdue backfield, combining for three sacks and eight tackles for loss. Notably, defensive linemen Langston Hardy and Gabe Kirschke both recorded a sack, with Hardy finishing the game with seven tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss on Saturday.
Dray gets loose 👀 pic.twitter.com/qcvPsfoTEd
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) September 12, 2026
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Quarterback Gio Lopez rushed for the game-tying touchdown and the game-winning two-point conversion against the Boilermakers. He finished the game with three total touchdowns, 225 passing yards and a team-high 59 rushing yards. He was 16-for-27 through the air.
Including his two seasons at South Alabama and the 2025 campaign at North Carolina, Lopez has been efficient against non-conference opponents as he’s thrown for 2,060 yards with 18 touchdowns to just three interceptions. He has also added five rushing scores in those games.
Over his first two games with the Demon Deacons, Lopez has thrown for 575 yards (62.7% completion) with four touchdowns and zero interceptions.
He is one of just four players in the country with the above stats so far this season.
Went and got him 😈 pic.twitter.com/Y5ZZh6TqLU
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) September 12, 2026
STAGGERING STATISTIC
This marked the second overtime game for the Demon Deacons in the Jake Dickert era and the first overtime win since the 23-17 victory against Tulane on Aug. 20, 2018.
With the victory, Wake Forest is now 6-0 against non-conference opponents under second-year head coach Jake Dickert. In those six contests, the Demon Deacons have outscored opponents 219 to 99.
Wake Forest 38, Purdue 36 (Sept. 12, 2026)
Wake Forest 38, Akron 16 (Sept. 3, 2026)
Wake Forest 52, Delaware 14 (Nov. 22, 2025)
Wake Forest 39, Oregon State 14 (Oct. 11, 2025)
Wake Forest 42, Western Carolina 10 (Sept. 6, 2025)
Wake Forest 10, Kennesaw State 9 (Aug. 29, 2025)
The man, the myth, the legend 🤝 pic.twitter.com/6jTuEQuNLV
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) September 12, 2026
FROM COACH DICKERT:
“What a fight from this team. It takes me back to last year against Virginia Tech where you just have to go earn it some way. When things are going your way or when things aren’t going your way, you just have to keep believing. We talked a lot about being the better team in our team meeting yesterday, and man did these guys show it. They kept fighting. I’m so proud of our team, and that shows in our celebration in our locker room right now.”
Got a team full of dawgs 🫡 pic.twitter.com/uEAxL70A2c
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) September 12, 2026
UP NEXT
Wake Forest will enter the national spotlight for Week 3 action, hosting No. 7 Miami for UNRIVALED Weekend at Allegacy Financial Stadium. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
Y'all's butts better be at Allegacy on Friday night 🎩
🔗 https://t.co/HSpESPfDJq pic.twitter.com/JN6TtKWoxP
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) September 12, 2026
The quickest and most efficient way to order tickets is to click the link here you want to purchase, or fans can call the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 ext. 1. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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