After a commanding 38-16 victory last week against Akron, Head Coach Jake Dickert and Wake Forest Football face an early season test against a power conference opponent - heading to West Lafayette, Indiana, this weekend to face the Purdue Boilermakers.Quarterback Gio Lopez was phenomenal during his first start as a Demon Deacon, throwing for 350 yards and three touchdowns. Lopez was the first Wake Forest quarterback to throw for as many yards and touchdowns without throwing an interception since Sam Hartman did so against Duke in 2021.Wake Forest vs. Purdue - Game DetailsDate: Saturday, September 12, 2026Kickoff Time: 12:00 P.M. ETLocation: Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Ind. (capacity 61,441)Television: Fox Sports 1 (FS1), with Noah Reed (Play-by-Play), Robert Smith (Analyst)Radio: Wake Forest Radio Network with Stan Cotten (Play-by-Play), Lary Sorensen (Analyst), and Dave Goren (Sideline Reporter)Local: WBRF-FM 98.1 | WPOL 1340 AM / WPOL 103.5 FMSiriusXM: 382Internet: 972Web: GoDeacs.comSeries History: Purdue leads the series, 4-1Last meeting: Purdue won, 16-10, on September 13, 2003The Old Gold & Black RivalrySep 3, 2026; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons students cheer during the first half against the Akron Zips at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectOf the 138 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), only two can proudly say that they sport Old Gold and Black on game days - Wake Forest and Purdue. Nearly 23 years to the date of their last matchup, the two programs finally meet again in West Lafayette, for only the sixth time in series history.Ranked 20th in the AP Poll heading into the last head-to-head showdown in 2003, Head Coach Jim Grobe and Wake Forest hosted the Boilermakers for what would become an intense matchup. The Boilermakers, led by future NFL quarterback Kyle Orton, looked to dethrone the Deacs after Wake Forest had entered the AP Poll for the first time in over a decade.Despite the good start to their season, the Demon Deacons struggled offensively, being held to only 244 offensive yards in the matchup. Meanwhile, Orton went 26-of-36 for 227 passing yards and a second-quarter touchdown to receiver Taylor Stubblefield.While Wake Forest had a chance with one final drive and down by less than one score, the Boilermaker defense was able to stop running back Chris Barclay on fourth down to seal the 16-10 win. More than two decades later, Wake Forest will look to reverse that outcome and defeat the Boilermakers for what would be only the second time in series history. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow