Purdue walked off the field in West Lafayette with a loss, but for a brief stretch it looked like the Boilermakers had snapped a 20-game skid against Power Four opponents. Instead, a late review on fourth-and-15 in double overtime flipped the game back toward Wake Forest, and the Demon Deacons made the most of the extra life.
The sequence was brutal for Barry Odom’s team. Purdue had Wake Forest stopped on fourth-and-15 and initially believed Carlos Hernandez came up short of the marker.
The ruling changed after review, giving Wake Forest a new set of downs. From there, Gio Lopez punched in the tying touchdown and then added a two-point conversion to finish off a 38-36 Demon Deacons win.
That overturned call will get the loudest replay, but Purdue left plenty of openings on the table long before double overtime arrived. The Boilermakers hurt themselves with penalties at the worst possible times, getting flagged eight times for 50 yards.
Three of those flags wiped out first-down plays, and another drive was derailed by a bad snap that cost Ryan Browne eight yards. After last week’s game against Indiana State, Odom said Purdue wasn’t good enough to survive a heavy penalty count.
Saturday proved him right.
Wake Forest’s offense also found too much breathing room for most of the afternoon. Purdue’s pass rush didn’t really show up until late, when Trey Smith and Jeremy Lewis started forcing Lopez into quicker decisions and got to him twice, once in the fourth quarter and once in double overtime.
Before that, Lopez had time to work, and when nothing opened downfield, he used his legs to extend drives. Wake Forest went 5-of-11 on third down.
Lopez finished 16 of 27 for 225 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing 13 times for 59 yards and two scores, including the winner.
Purdue did have some real positives on offense, starting with Magwood. He was one of the most dependable targets in the passing game and turned in a highlight-reel catch in the first quarter while a defender dragged him down.
He finished with five receptions for 77 yards and added one carry for 18 yards. Through two games, Purdue’s passing game looks sharper than it did a year ago.
The Boilermakers also continued to be perfect in the red zone, going 11-for-11 there overall and scoring on all five trips against Wake Forest. The problem was that too many of those visits ended with field goals.
Purdue got inside Wake Forest’s 15-yard line three times and reached the 5-yard line on two of those drives, yet all three came away with three points. One more touchdown in that stretch, and overtime never happens.
Still, Fame Ijeboi gave Purdue every chance to finish the job. The transfer running back carried 27 times for 114 yards and three touchdowns, and his biggest run may have come on the final drive of regulation, when he broke off a 25-yard gain to get Purdue into field-goal range. Fifteen of his carries came in the fourth quarter and the two overtime periods.
Between Ijeboi’s late surge and Magwood’s steady work, Purdue had enough offensive bright spots to leave Saturday with something to build on. But the penalties, the stalled red-zone drives, and that overturned fourth-down stop all added up to a loss that slipped away in the most painful way possible.
In Other News...
Purdue Fans Still Have One Big Concern Heading Into Wake Forest
Purdues opening win over Indiana State did not exactly move the needle for a fan base still trying to get a read on what this team can be in 2026. A recent poll showed the most common grade for the Week 1 performance was a C, which fits the cautious mood around a program heading into a bigger test against Wake Forest and a betting line that already has people looking ahead to what comes next.
The more telling part is how little the opener changed the conversation. Most fans came away in a holding pattern, still waiting for a performance that sharpens the picture of Purdues season instead of simply getting the schedule started, while a smaller group either soured or brightened on the outlook after one game. Wake Forest gives the Boilermakers a chance to answer some of those lingering questions, but it also has a way of exposing which concerns were real and which ones were just early-season nerves. [Read more 🡒]
Purdue Let A Winnable Game Slip Away For One Frustrating Reason
Purdue came out with enough early rhythm to suggest it could control the night against Wake Forest, but the bigger issue quickly became finishing drives. The Boilermakers kept moving the ball, only to settle for field goals far too often, and a missed 49-yard attempt only deepened the sense that a game within reach was slipping through their hands.
Even with the offense fighting back in the second half and Fame Ijeboi providing a major spark, Purdue could never quite close the gap it might have built with a more ruthless red-zone finish. Ijebois production gave the Boilermakers something to lean on, but the frustrating part for Purdue was simpler than any single playcall: too many promising possessions ended with three points instead of seven. [Read more 🡒]
Purdue Faces An Early Barry Odom Test That Could Shape September
Purdues non-conference meeting with Wake Forest carries more weight than a typical September tune-up, especially this early in Barry Odoms tenure. The Boilermakers have already spent enough time sorting out their identity, and this is the kind of game that can help clarify whether the progress is real or still in its early stages. For players and coaches alike, it is a chance to show that the program is ready to handle a test that feels bigger than the calendar suggests.
Ryan Browne is among the names drawing attention as Purdue tries to steady itself and build something that lasts beyond one Saturday. A loss would not end the season, but it would leave the Boilermakers searching for answers and trying to avoid an early hole they can ill afford. A win would do more than brighten the record - it would give Odoms group a much better platform heading into the rest of September, with the pressure of proving it can carry this start forward. [Read more 🡒]