The Toledo Rockets scored all of their points in the first half and let their defense do the rest on Wednesday night, shutting out Massachusetts 24-0 at the Glass Bowl in a Mid-American Conference game shown on CBS Sports Network.
Toledo struck first in the opening quarter when Connor Walendzak broke free for a 69-yard rushing touchdown, with Reice Griffith adding the extra point for a 7-0 lead, according to Sportradar’s play-by-play account of the game.
The Rockets then poured in 17 points in the second quarter to build a 24-0 halftime lead. Walendzak found the end zone again late in the half, catching a 17-yard touchdown pass from John Alan Richter with 1:55 left before halftime, according to Sportradar.
Neither team scored after the break. Toledo’s defense completed the shutout across a scoreless second half, and the Rockets ran out the clock in the fourth quarter to close the win.
The victory moved Toledo to 8-2 overall and 5-1 in the MAC, keeping the Rockets in control of their conference title race with the regular season winding down. Massachusetts, which arrived at 5-4 and still seeking the sixth win it needs for the program’s first bowl berth, fell to 5-5.
The result also extended Toledo’s perfect record in the series — the Rockets were 5-0 against the Minutemen entering Wednesday, with the last meeting a Toledo win in 2024, according to College Football News’ preview of the game.
Toledo’s stretch run continues with the rivalry game against Bowling Green next, before a late-season date at Ohio that could decide a place in the MAC Championship game, according to College Football News.
For Massachusetts, the shutout was a missed opportunity in its bowl pursuit: the Minutemen still need one more win for the first bowl appearance in program history, according to College Football News, and their remaining chances now come against a closing schedule that leaves little margin for error. Toledo, meanwhile, recorded the kind of complete defensive performance its coaching staff has been chasing in MAC play — 24 points built before halftime, and none allowed all night.
Photo: Mactropy, CC BY-SA