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  • MACtion Leaves UMass In Traction As Toledo Rockets Blow Past And Shutout The Minutemen

MACtion Leaves UMass In Traction As Toledo Rockets Blow Past And Shutout The Minutemen

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Football

TOLEDO, Ohio – The University of Toledo kept pace in the Mid-American Conference championship race on Wednesday with a resounding 24-0 victory over Massachusetts at the Glass Bowl.

The Rockets (8-2, 5-1 MAC) did all of their damage in the first half, opening the scoring in the first quarter on Connor Walendzak's 69-yard touchdown run, before exploding for 17 more points in the second quarter. The victory keeps Toledo in a four-way tie with Buffalo, Ohio and Western Michigan for first place in the MAC standings with two weeks to play. 

The Rockets were led on the ground by Walendzak, who returned from injury and had a career-high 117 yards on 14 carries. also caught a 17-yard TD in the second quarter. CJ Miller added 83 yards on 15 carries.

Adjatay Dabbs had a big day on the receiving board, with a season-high 144 yards on seven catches. Walendzak had 41 yards and three catches. QB John Alan Richter completed 13 of 22 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown.

The defense was suffocating all night, not allowing UMass (5-5, 2-4 MAC) to reach the red zone. Julian Fox led Toledo with eight tackles, including a career-high 3.0 tackles for loss. Andrew Zock added six tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks and two QB hurries. Caden Camese posted 2.5 TFLs and a sack. Nicholas Thompson recorded the only turnover of the game with a 62-yard pick-six in the second quarter.

All told, the Rockets' defense totaled 10 tackles for loss, the second consecutive week they have finished with double-digit TFLs. Toledo's defense held UMass to 3 for 15 on third down and 1 for 4 on fourth down.

How It Happened

  • UMass picked up nine yards on its first play, but Andrew Zock quickly erased that progress with a nine-yard sack on the next snap. The Rockets then forced a three-and-out.
  • Toledo marched inside the UMass 30-yard line, but a fourth-and-1 John Alan Richter pass in the end zone was dropped for a turnover on downs. 
  • The Rockets got on the scoreboard when Connor Walendzak broke free for a 69-yard touchdown run from the Wildcat formation. The run capped a five-play, 90-yard drive. 
  • Toledo had 198 total yards in the first quarter, including 139 rushing yards (10.7 yards per rush). The Rockets averaged 9.9 yards per play in the quarter. 
  • Reice Griffith tacked on a 27-yard field goal early in the second quarter to make the score 10-0. 
  • The Rockets took a 17-0 lead on a Nicholas Thompson pick-six. Thompson returned the interception 62 yards. 
  • Walendzak scored his second touchdown of the game late in the first half on a 17-yard pass from Richter, who found Walendzak open in the middle of the field after an all-out blitz by UMass. 
  • Toledo forced two turnovers on down and downed a punt at the 1-yard line in the fourth quarter to keep the shutout intact.

Game Notes

  • In the first quarter, Toledo had its third 90-yard touchdown drive of the season, with all coming within the last four games. 
  • Walendzak's 69-yard TD run was the second-longest of his career (71 yards at Michigan State). Walendzak is up to 11 total touchdowns in eight games played this season. He has scored multiple touchdowns three different times.
  • Thompson's pick-six was Toledo's second of the season (Isaac Zay vs. San Diego State). 
  • Dabbs had a Toledo career-high 129 yards receiving on six receptions at halftime. He finished with 144. Dabbs reached 100 yards receiving for the third time this season.
  • Zock had a career-high-tying 2.0 sacks. It's the fifth time he's had two sacks in a game. His 3.0 tackles for loss were also a season high.
  • The Rockets have posted shutouts in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1992-1993. Toledo shut out Morgan State, 60-0 on Sept. 13, 2025.
  • Toledo's defense has been dominant against the run over the past two games, allowing just 75 yards on 59 carries (1.3 yards per attempt). The Rockets limited UMass to 67 yards on 28 attempts tonight (2.4 yards per attempt). The Minutemen had eight rushing plays that went for negative yards.
  • The Toledo defense also totaled three sacks and 10 tackles for loss. The Rockets have eight sacks and 22 TFLs in their last two games.

Up Next
Toledo will close out its 2026 home schedule on Friday, Nov. 20 when the Rockets host archrival Bowling Green in the 91st edition of the Battle of I-75 at the Glass Bowl. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.