Wake Forest University's Demon Deacons football team faced Purdue University's Boilermakers on September 12 in West Lafayette, Indiana.
The two teams could not be separated in regulation, and Wake Forest won 38-36 after two overtime periods.
Purdue took the lead first in the final overtime, but a failed 2-point conversion and a video review led to the sequence that turned the game around.
3-Line Summary
1. Wake Forest won 38-36
2. Purdue failed on a 2-point conversion
3. The final review and rushing plays decided the game
In the Second Overtime, a 6-Point Lead Was Not the End
According to IndyStar, Purdue made it 36-30 in the second overtime on running back Fame Ijeboi's third touchdown rush of the day. Having taken possession first and scored a touchdown, the home team had an opportunity to secure the victory. But when the 2-point conversion pass intended for Xavier Townsend was unsuccessful, the margin remained 6 points.
In football overtime, whether a 2-point conversion succeeds after a touchdown becomes more than a simple additional score. Because Purdue could not make it an 8-point game, Wake Forest retained a path to end the game at once with a touchdown and 2-point conversion. Regardless of the strength Purdue showed on offense, the biggest difference was that one conversion opportunity.
Purdue's season record became 1-1. Coming off a game in which it defeated Indiana State 44-19, this loss can be read less as a result of simply failing to score enough and more as the result of not finishing one final possession.
The 4th-Down Review Gave Wake Forest Another Chance
Purdue appeared to have stopped a pass on Wake Forest's 4th-down, 15-yard situation. The initial ruling was that receiver Drayden Dickmann had gone out of bounds at the 3-yard line, but after review, the ball was placed at the 2-yard line, giving Wake Forest a new offensive opportunity.
Two plays later, quarterback Gio Lopez tied the game with a rush of his own. Wake Forest also chose a Lopez rush on the 2-point conversion attempt after a timeout, and he entered the end zone untouched to secure the victory. The final sequence was not a long pass or a spectacular catch, but one yard changed by review and consecutive quarterback rushes.
Lopez, introduced by FOX Sports before the game, had recorded 350 passing yards and 3 touchdowns against Akron. In this game, he completed 16 passes for 225 yards and 1 passing touchdown, in addition to 2 rushing touchdowns and the game-winning 2-point conversion. Wake Forest's road victory was completed less by the explosiveness of its passing game than by Lopez's choice to run himself in the decisive moments.
Purdue's Ijeboi's 3 Touchdowns Could Not Prevent the Loss
Ijeboi was the center of Purdue's offense. He recorded 114 yards and 3 touchdowns on 27 carries, and added 42 yards on 6 receptions. Late in the game, he broke a tackle and gained 25 yards, helping Purdue create an opportunity to tie the game.
Quarterback Ryan Browne also completed 32 of 42 passes for 329 yards and 1 touchdown. On its first overtime possession, Purdue responded with a touchdown pass on 4th down, and the extra point by new kicker Jacobo Echeverria Lozano sent the game to a second overtime.
Still, the numbers alone do not fully explain the outcome of this game. Purdue scored 36 points and Ijeboi reached the end zone three times, but it failed to protect its defensive opportunity after the final failed 2-point conversion and the review. Wake Forest did not miss those two moments, and that is why it took a 38-36 road victory.
References
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