Saturday marks the first major test of the 2026 season for head coach Barry Odom and his team. Purdue took care of business with a lopsided win over Indiana State, but the competition toughens up in a hurry, with Wake Forest coming to town this weekend.Purdue is looking to improve to 2-0 and snap a lengthy Power Four losing streak. Wake Forest is hoping to steal a win on the road and set itself up for a massive showdown against No. 7 Miami next weekend.Here is all the information you need to know ahead of Saturday's clash between the Boilers and Demon Deacons.How to follow alongPurdue's Chauncey Magwood (left) and Asaad Waseem (right) celebrate after a touchdown. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectWhat: Purdue (1-0) vs. Wake Forest (1-0)When: Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026Where: Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind.Kickoff: Noon ETTV: Fox Sports 1 (FS1)Stream: FOX OneTV announcers: Noah Reed (play-by-play), Robert Smith (analyst)Radio: Purdue Global Radio Network — 96.5 FM WAZY (Lafayette) |100.9 FM WKJG (Fort Wayne) |1260 AM WNDE (Indianapolis) | 99.5 FM WFNB (Terre Haute) |1450 AM WXVW (Louisville) | SiriusXM Ch. 231Radio announcers: Tim Newton (play-by-play), Mark Hermann (analyst), Kelly Kitchel (sideline), Rob Blackmon (producer)Live stats: StatBroadcastForecast outlookSep 4, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; A general view as a parachuter arrives during the national anthem. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectAfter a blazing-hot evening last Friday, Purdue will play in more bearable temperatures when Wake Forest comes to town. Things could be a little wet, with rain in the forecast early Saturday morning, though it should dry up by the time the Boilers and Demon Deacons kick off. Here's a look at the projected forecast, via weather.com.High temp: 85Low temp: 68Kickoff temp: 79Skies: Partly cloudyRain chances: 40% (0% at kickoff)Wind: 3-8 mph (SW)Humidity: 70% at kickoff, 75% average (will drop to 60% during the game)Scouting Wake ForestSep 3, 2026; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons head coach Jake Dickert on the sideline. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectJake Dickert, head coach5th season overall, 2nd at Wake ForestCoached at Washington State (2021-24)33-24 career recordFour bowl appearances in five seasons (1-2)9-4 in first season at Wake Forest (2025)Demon Deacons defeated Mississippi State in Duke's May Bowl (2025)Key playersSep 3, 2026; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons wide receiver Carlos Hernandez (8). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectGio Lopez, QB — Lopez was tremendous in his first start at Wake Forest. He completed 21-of-32 passes for 350 yards and three touchdowns, which included a pair of 70-yard scoring strikes. He also rushed for 39 yards on seven carries. His big arm and mobility will present challenges for Purdue's defense.Carlos Hernandez, WR — Wake Forest has multiple playmakers, and Hernandez may be the best. He turned a short pass into a 78-yard touchdown in the opener against Akron. He finished the game with 165 yards and a score on just five receptions. Last season, he had 611 yards and three touchdowns for the season.Ty Clark III, RB — After rushing for 323 yards and three touchdowns last season, Clark burst onto the scene last week. He averaged 15 yards per carry on just seven attempts, leading the Demon Deacons with 105 yards on the ground. He's a quick, elusive back who is hard to bring to the ground.Langston Hardy, DL — Hardy is the top returning defensive player for Wake Forest. He accounted for 17 tackles for loss and seven sacks in 2025, leading the team in both categories. He's a tough defensive lineman to block and will test the strength of Purdue's offensive front.Gabe Kirschke, DL — Another active defensive lineman, Kirschke had three tackles against Akron, with 1.5 tackles for loss. He had nine tackles for loss and five sacks last fall and was also responsible for two forced fumbles and four quarterback hurries. He can make life miserable in the backfield for opposing offenses.Vincent Firenze, LB — Firenze transferred to Wake Forest from Dayton and wasted no time making an impact at the FBS level. In his first game, Firenze accounted for nine tackles, six being solo stops. He also forced a fumble. Last year at Dayton, the linebacker accounted for 85 tackles, three interceptions and a sack.Boilers to watchSep 4, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers running back Fame Ijeboi (2) avoids a tackle. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectFame Ijeboi, RB — The Minnesota transfer was one of the highest-graded offensive players by Pro Football Focus in Week 1. He accounted for 87 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. He added 30 receiving yards. Ijeboi flashed his combination of power and speed last Friday against Indiana State and will be Purdue's primary ball carrier this season.Ryan Browne, QB — Browne's 2026 campaign got off to a hot start, completing 23-of-29 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. Coaches raved all offseason about how much the second-year starter has developed, and we saw a glimpse of that in the opener. Will he have similar success against a tough Wake Forest defense?Asaad Waseem, WR — Purdue has lacked a primary receiver for two years, but it may have found one in Waseem. The transfer had a big day against Indiana State, catching six passes for 107 yards and a touchdown. He was also Browne's primary target in critical passing situations throughout Week 1.Don Saunders, DB — Saunders became the first Boilermaker to record a pick-six since the 2022 season, a promising sign for a defense that has struggled to create turnovers recently. He also showed the ability to get into the backfield to disrupt plays. He finished Friday's game with three tackles and a pass break-up to go along with the interception.Ian Jeffries, DL — Purdue's defensive line got a good push against Indiana State and Jeffries led that charge. He ended the game with three tackles and a sack. He didn't have big numbers last season, accounting for 20 tackles and one sack, but he's already showing some significant improvement from 2025.Charles Correa, LB — Correa is the leader of the defense and is capable of making plays all over the field. He had just two tackles and a pass break-up against Indiana State, but had a stellar 2025 campaign. The linebacker totaled 93 tackles and three sacks in his first season with the Boilermakers.Key statsOffenseSep 3, 2026; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons quarterback Gio Lopez (3) leaps. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectStats (per game)Wake ForestPurdueScoring38.044.0Rushing yards203.0177Yards per carry6.24.4Passing yards356346Completion %62.9%79.4%Total yards559.0523.03rd down %46.7 (7/15)54.6% (6/11)Red zone %80% (4/5)100% (6/6)Turnovers (total)00Penalties (yards)11 (115.0)9.0 (85.0)DefenseSep 4, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers defensive lineman Ian Jeffries (40) celebrates after a sack. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectStats (per game)Wake ForestPurduePoints allowed16.019.0Run defense149.066.0Pass defense156.0218.0Total defense305.0284.0Sacks (total)23Opp. 3rd down %46.2% (6/13)33.3% (4/12)Opp. red zone %100% (3/3)100% (2/2)Takeaways11Fast factsSep 4, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers head coach Barry Odom. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectSixth meeting between the two programsSaturday's matchup between Purdue and Wake Forest will be the sixth time the two teams have met on the gridiron. The Boilermakers have had plenty of success, leading the all-time series 4-1. They were victorious in the most recent meeting, defeating the Demon Deacons 16-10 in Winston-Salem on Sept. 13, 2003. Wake Forest did win the last time they visited Ross-Ade Stadium, defeating Purdue 24-21 on Sept. 21, 2002. The Boilermakers are 3-1 playing in West Lafayette.Penalties, penalties, penaltiesNeither Odom nor Dickert was pleased with how their team's discipline in Week 1. Both teams were flagged several times. Wake Forest was penalized 11 times for 115 yards and Purdue was hit with nine penalties for 85 yards. Both coaches are hoping for much cleaner games this weekend.Sometimes, the adrenaline from playing the first game of the season can overwhelm players. Is that what we saw in Week 1? Or will we see sloppy performances again this Saturday?Time to snap the droughtThis is Purdue's first opportunity in 2026 to snap a 20-game losing streak to Power Four opponents. The Boilermakers went 0-10 against power opponents in each of the last two seasons and are hoping to secure their first marquee win of the Odom era.Purdue has plenty of motivation entering this weekend's game. So does Wake Forest. Dickert doesn't want his team to be the first from a power conference to lose to the Boilermakers in over two years.Get top Boilermakers stories, expert analysis, and can't-miss moments straight to your inbox for free by signing up for the Purdue Boilermakers on SI newsletter!Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow