Gio Lopez ran in the game-tying touchdown and game-winning two-point conversion to help Wake Forest prevail despite blowing a late 10-point lead in a 38-36 double-overtime win over Purdue Saturday in West Lafayette, Ind.
Lopez also converted a fourth-and-15 on the game-winning drive with a pass to Carlos Hernandez to keep the Demon Deacons’ chances alive. He finished with 225 passing yards, a team-high 59 rushing yards and three total touchdowns (one passing, two rushing).
Hernandez finished with six catches for 88 yards for Wake Forest (2-0).
Fame Ijeboi ran for three touchdowns and 114 yards for the Boilermakers (1-1), who saw their losing streak against power conference opponents extended to 22 games. Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne set a career high in passing yards (329) for the second straight week, completing 32 of 42 passes with one touchdown.
Wake Forest led 23-13 with less than four minutes left before the Boilermakers rallied for 10 late points, with Ijeboi scoring from 7 yards out before Jacobo Echeverria Lozano hit a 20-yard field goal as time expired to send the game to overtime.
After Wake Forest scored to open overtime, Purdue equalized on Browne’s 9-yard connection with De’Nylon Morrissette on fourth-and-goal to force a second overtime.
Purdue opened the scoring on the first drive of the game on Ijeboi’s 14-yard rush. But the Demon Deacons responded by posting the next 17 points, scoring on each of their three first-half possessions.
Lopez then added to the lead with his 1-yard scamper which made it 17-7 with 3:55 left in the second quarter.
Echeverria Lozano avenged his earlier miss by hitting a 22-yard field goal with two seconds left to cut Wake Forest’s halftime edge to 17-10.
The teams traded field goals to begin the second half before the Boilermakers finally forced a Wake Forest punt.
They then traded punts before Calvert made his third field goal, extending the lead back to 23-13 with 9:13 left.
