Purdue’s first real stress test of the season arrives Saturday, and Wake Forest is bringing a team that already showed plenty of firepower in its opener.
The Demon Deacons opened 2026 with a 38-16 win over Akron, and they did it by blowing the game open early. Wake Forest raced to a 28-0 lead in the first half and never gave the Zips a chance to settle in.
The offense was rolling from the start. Wake Forest piled up 559 total yards, including 356 through the air and 206 on the ground, while averaging 8.2 yards per play.
Quarterback Gio Lopez was at the center of it all, finishing 21-of-32 for 350 yards and three touchdowns while also adding 39 rushing yards. It was another stop in a winding college career for Lopez, who began at South Alabama before starting 11 games for North Carolina in 2025.
The backfield also did damage. Ty Clark III was explosive with 105 yards on just seven carries, a massive 15 yards per attempt. Lawrence Deuce chipped in 52 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Wake Forest also hit Akron with big plays on the outside. Carlos Hernandez caught five passes for 165 yards and a touchdown, all before halftime.
He left in the second quarter after taking a big hit, but is expected to be in the lineup this weekend against the Boilers. Antonio Meeks added three catches for 93 yards and a score, highlighted by a 72-yard touchdown.
The defense had its own strong showing, even if Akron found some success on the ground. The Zips finished with 305 total yards, including 149 rushing yards at 4.1 yards per carry. Quarterback Broughton Cibastian led Akron with 82 rushing yards and also completed 21 of 26 passes for 111 yards.
Wake Forest still made plenty of disruptive plays. Linebacker Vincent Firenze posted nine tackles, one tackle for loss and a forced fumble, a performance that earned him ACC Linebacker of the Week. Frank Cusano also had nine tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss, while All-ACC edge rusher Langston Hardy added four tackles and a tackle for loss.
Overall, the Demon Deacons finished with seven tackles for loss and two sacks. Their only turnover came on Firenze’s forced fumble, which defensive back Rushaun Tongue recovered.
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Penalties remain a concern, and Purdue will need cleaner work from both the offensive and defensive lines to hold up against a Wake Forest team that brings defensive strength and big-play potential at wide receiver. The Demon Deacons also have a quarterback who can create problems if pressure does not land cleanly, which puts even more weight on Purdue's front-seven discipline and its ability to keep the game from turning into a scramble. [Read more 🡒]