CBS Sports College FootballShort-yardage / goal-line · enumeration
Who gets the tough yard
8/113rd/4th & short
6/16Inside-5 share
8 of 11 on 3rd/4th-and-2-or-less (72.7%). 6 of the team's 16 inside-the-5 carries (37.5%).
Connor Walendzak
Rushing yards424104th of 278 running backsLast gameW 45–38vs Western Michigan · Oct 24
Nextat Sacramento StateWed Nov 4 · 7 pm ET
- touchdown
Western Michigan · W 45-38
No carries.
Walendzak has carries in 7 of Toledo’s 8 games: none against Western Michigan.
Dashed line: 100 yards.
This week
- RecordToledo is 6-2.
His most important play this season
25% of the carries, 28% of the yards, 37% of the touchdowns
- Carries25%73 of 296
- Yards28%424 of 1,510
- Touchdowns37%7 of 19
- A touchdown every 10.4 carries. Everyone else on the team: one every 18.6.
Share of the team's rushing yards, game by game
No bar in a game where the team had under 100 rushing yards: a share of that little says nothing.
Who carried it
- CJ Miller609 yards, 109 carries, 7 touchdowns
- Connor Walendzak424 yards, 73 carries, 7 touchdowns
- Autavius Ison323 yards, 67 carries, 3 touchdowns
- Khamoni Robinson56 yards, 4 carries, 1 touchdown
- Noah Sanders42 yards, 10 carries
- 5 others57 yards
Share of the team's total this season.
Most of his carries go up the middle
10203040502371
leftmiddlerightno spot
a carry, up for a gain and down for a lossa touchdown
Each line is one carry: taller means more yards, and a line pointing down lost yards. Black lines are touchdowns. The play text only says left, middle or right, so inside each lane the carries are lined up shortest to longest, not placed. Of his carries with a spot in the play text: left 9, middle 53, right 10. His longest went for 71 yards.
Connor Walendzak
Does a little of everything without one standout trait. Played for three head coaches in four seasons at Toledo. One game to point at: 103 rushing yards and 15 receiving yards against Ball State — Week 5, 2026.
424 rushing yards · 7 rushing TD · 73 carries
Style of play
Style of play
Play style
Plays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension.
Similar players
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
Career stats
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Game log
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 7 games
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Wk | Opp | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 20-30@ Michigan State | 7 | 76 | 10.9 | 1 | 71 | |
| Wk 2 | W 63-10vs Central Connecticut | 6 | 34 | 5.7 | 1 | 23 | |
| Wk 3 | W 49-48vs Temple | 12 | 62 | 5.2 | 2 | 11 | |
| Wk 4 | W 41-16vs San Diego State | 16 | 61 | 3.8 | 1 | 13 | |
| Wk 5 | W 39-24@ Ball State | 16 | 103 | 6.4 | 1 | 30 | Season-high 103 yds |
| Wk 6 | L 8-23vs Buffalo | 10 | 50 | 5.0 | 1 | 14 | |
| Wk 7 | W 34-14@ Eastern Michigan | 6 | 38 | 6.3 | 0 | 19 | |
| Total | 73 | 424 | 5.8 | 7 | 71 |
The season, game by game
W 34-14 at Eastern MichiganOct. 1738 yds6 carries
6 carries for 38 yards.
- 1 went 10+ yards
- 1 stopped at or behind the line
- 3 moved the chains
- 1 catch for 4 yds
- First quarterbegan tied 0-0
- 4 for 211
- Second quarterbegan up 10-0
- 2 for 17, 1 rec2
- FinalW 34-14
a carry, by its yardsa loss, below the linea catcha touchdown
- 1
8-yard run on 3rd and 3. First quarter, tied 0-0. Converted.
- 2
19-yard run. Second quarter, up 24-7.
1020304050
leftmiddleright
a carry, up for a gain and down for a lossa touchdown
Each carry is a stem from the line, in the lane the play text names, sorted shortest to longest. The play text only says left, middle or right, so inside a lane marks are sorted, not placed.
L 8-23 vs BuffaloOct. 1050 yds10 carries, 1 TD
10 carries for 50 yards and a touchdown.
- 2 went 10+ yards
- 0 stopped at or behind the line
- 3 moved the chains
- 2 catches for 12 yds
- First quarterbegan tied 0-0
- 2 for 4, 1 rec1
- Second quarterbegan down 6-0
- 2 for 4
- Third quarterbegan down 13-0
- 3 for 24, 1 rec2
- Fourth quarterbegan down 16-0
- 3 for 18, 1 TD3
- FinalL 8-23
a carry, by its yardsa loss, below the linea catcha touchdown
- 1
5-yard catch on 3rd and 6. First quarter, down 6-0.
- 2
14-yard run. Third quarter, down 16-0.
- 3
1-yard touchdown run on 4th and 1. Fourth quarter, cut it to 16-8.
1020304050
leftmiddleright
a carry, up for a gain and down for a lossa touchdown
Each carry is a stem from the line, in the lane the play text names, sorted shortest to longest. The play text only says left, middle or right, so inside a lane marks are sorted, not placed.
5 more games, with the play by play
W 39-24 at Ball StateOct. 3103 yds16 carries, 1 TD
16 carries for 103 yards and a touchdown, his most this season.
- 3 went 10+ yards
- 1 stopped at or behind the line
- 5 moved the chains
- 2 catches for 15 yds
- First quarterbegan tied 0-0
- 3 for 17, 1 rec
- Second quarterbegan down 7-6
- 7 for 29, 1 rec12
- Third quarterbegan up 15-10
- 5 for 55, 1 TD34
- Fourth quarterbegan up 22-10
- 1 for 2
- FinalW 39-24
a carry, by its yardsa loss, below the linea catcha touchdown
- 1
6-yard run on 3rd and 7. Second quarter, tied 10-10.
- 2
No gain on 4th and 1. Second quarter, tied 10-10. Turnover on downs.
- 3
6-yard run on 3rd and 1. Third quarter, up 15-10. Converted.
- 4
30-yard touchdown run. Third quarter, made it 22-10.
102030405030
leftmiddleright
a carry, up for a gain and down for a lossa touchdown
Each carry is a stem from the line, in the lane the play text names, sorted shortest to longest. The play text only says left, middle or right, so inside a lane marks are sorted, not placed.
W 41-16 vs San Diego StateSept. 2661 yds16 carries, 1 TD
16 carries for 61 yards and a touchdown.
- 1 went 10+ yards
- 2 stopped at or behind the line
- 4 moved the chains
- 2 catches for 13 yds
- First quarterbegan tied 0-0
- 11 for 49, 1 rec1234
- Second quarterbegan up 7-3
- 0 for 0, 1 rec
- Third quarterbegan up 17-3
- 4 for 11
- Fourth quarterbegan up 34-9
- 1 for 1, 1 TD
- FinalW 41-16
a carry, by its yardsa loss, below the linea catcha touchdown
- 1
13-yard run. First quarter, down 3-0.
- 2
2-yard run on 3rd and 1. First quarter, down 3-0. Converted.
- 3
3-yard catch on 3rd and 4. First quarter, up 7-3.
- 4
No gain on 4th and 1. First quarter, up 7-3. Turnover on downs.
1020304050
leftmiddleright
a carry, up for a gain and down for a lossa touchdown
Each carry is a stem from the line, in the lane the play text names, sorted shortest to longest. The play text only says left, middle or right, so inside a lane marks are sorted, not placed.
W 49-48 vs TempleSept. 1962 yds12 carries, 2 TD
12 carries for 62 yards and 2 touchdowns.
- 2 went 10+ yards
- 0 stopped at or behind the line
- 7 moved the chains
- 1 catch for 9 yds
- First quarterbegan tied 0-0
- 6 for 38123
- Second quarterbegan down 10-7
- 1 for 2, 1 TD
- Third quarterbegan down 24-14
- 0 for 04
- Fourth quarterbegan down 27-21
- 4 for 21, 1 rec, 1 TD
- Ot quarterbegan tied 42-42
- 1 for 1, 1 TD
- FinalW 49-48
a carry, by its yardsa loss, below the linea catcha touchdown
- 1
11-yard run. First quarter, down 3-0.
- 2
4-yard run on 3rd and 1. First quarter, down 3-0. Converted.
- 3
3-yard run on 3rd and 1. First quarter, down 10-7. Converted.
- 4
Incomplete on 4th and 3. Third quarter, down 27-21. Turnover on downs. Broken up by Temple’s J. Joseph.
1020304050
leftmiddleright
a carry, up for a gain and down for a lossa touchdown
Each carry is a stem from the line, in the lane the play text names, sorted shortest to longest. The play text only says left, middle or right, so inside a lane marks are sorted, not placed.
W 63-10 vs Central ConnecticutSept. 1234 yds6 carries, 1 TD
6 carries for 34 yards and a touchdown.
- 1 went 10+ yards
- 1 stopped at or behind the line
- 2 moved the chains
- 1 catch for 4 yds
- First quarterbegan tied 0-0
- 3 for 6, 1 rec, 1 TD
- Third quarterbegan up 35-3
- 3 for 28, 1 TD1
- FinalW 63-10
a carry, by its yardsa loss, below the linea catcha touchdown
- 1
23-yard run. Third quarter, up 42-3.
102030405023
leftmiddlerightno spot
a carry, up for a gain and down for a lossa touchdown
Each carry is a stem from the line, in the lane the play text names, sorted shortest to longest. The play text only says left, middle or right, so inside a lane marks are sorted, not placed.
L 20-30 at Michigan StateSept. 476 yds7 carries, 1 TD
7 carries for 76 yards and a touchdown. He also caught 3 passes for 18 yards.
- 1 went 10+ yards
- 3 stopped at or behind the line
- 1 moved the chains
- 3 catches for 18 yds
- First quarterbegan tied 0-0
- 1 for -3
- Second quarterbegan down 10-0
- 1 for 0, 1 rec
- Third quarterbegan down 19-7
- 1 for 4
- Fourth quarterbegan down 19-14
- 4 for 75, 2 rec, 1 TD1
- FinalL 20-30
a carry, by its yardsa loss, below the linea catcha touchdown
- 1
71-yard touchdown run. Fourth quarter, made it 20-19.
102030405071
leftmiddleright
a carry, up for a gain and down for a lossa touchdown
Each carry is a stem from the line, in the lane the play text names, sorted shortest to longest. The play text only says left, middle or right, so inside a lane marks are sorted, not placed.
Signature game
Week 3 · 2026
W 49-48
vs Temple
62 rush yds (12 car) · 2 TD
Edged out Temple at home in a shootout.
With J. Alan Richter — 429 yds · 4 TD · 0 INT · QBR 62.8 · B. Hammer — 3 rec · 67 yds
Signature plays
The plays that mattered most
- Week 4 · San Diego State · 4th and 1 · Q1 · EPA −7.73C.Walendzak rush middle for 0 yards (J.Thomeson), TURNOVER ON DOWNS
- Week 1 · Michigan State · 2nd and 10 · Q4 · EPA +6.61C.Walendzak rush middle for 71 yards gain for a touchdown J.Richter pass attempt failed
- Week 5 · Ball State · 4th and 1 · Q2 · EPA −4.28C.Walendzak rush middle for 0 yards (W.Yates; L.Starks), TURNOVER ON DOWNS
- Week 3 · Temple · 3rd and 9 · Q4 · EPA +3.01Richter to Walendzak: a 9-yard touchdown pass.
- Week 5 · Ball State · 1st and 10 · Q3 · EPA +2.81C.Walendzak rush middle for 30 yards gain for a touchdown
- Week 6 · Buffalo · 4th and 1 · Q4 · EPA +2.79C.Walendzak rush middle for 1 yard gain for a touchdown A.Dabbs pass attempt Successful
4 more plays
- Week 4 · San Diego State · 3rd and 1 · Q4 · EPA +2.45C.Walendzak rush middle for 1 yard gain for a touchdown
- Week 2 · Central Connecticut · 2nd and 4 · Q1 · EPA +2.33Richter to Walendzak: a 4-yard touchdown pass.
- Week 2 · Central Connecticut · 1st and 10 · Q3 · EPA +1.49C.Walendzak rush left for 23 yards gain (M.Davis; A.Proctor)
- Week 7 · Eastern Michigan · 3rd and 3 · Q1 · EPA +1.24C.Walendzak rush middle for 8 yards gain (J.Salas; R.Adkins)
Where he ranks
Rush yards424104thAmong 278 backs with 40 or more carries
Yards / carry5.8tied for 63rdAmong 278 backs with 40 or more carries
Rush TDs7tied for 27thAmong 278 backs with 40 or more carries
Long run71tied for 38thAmong 278 backs with 40 or more carries
Carries73tied for 140thAmong 278 backs with 40 or more carries
Rec yards75tied for 107thAmong 273 backs with 40 or more carries
Receptions12tied for 66thAmong 273 backs with 40 or more carries
122nd in rushing yards, among all 1,551 FBS players with a rushing row this season, any position
Rushing yards4249th in the Mid-American this season.
Rushing touchdowns7tied for 3rd in the Mid-American this season.
Conference ranks count every player in the conference with a row in that stat, any position. Career ranks count current FBS players, from the games in our log.
Opponents faced, by strength
Ratings of the games shown run from -20 to -3 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Rushing profile
Rush profile · Shape, efficiency, and ball security
How he gets his yards, and how often it works
73 of 73 carries matched to play-by-play
Success rate
49%73 carriesStuffed
0 or fewer yds11%of carries
8 carries
Grind
1–3 yds36%of carries
26 carries
Chunk
4–9 yds38%of carries
28 carries
Explosive
10+ yds15%of carries
11 carries
8 of 11 (73%) converted on 3rd/4th & short (≤2 to go) · 5 of 6 (83%) scored from inside the 5-yard line
5.8 yds/carry on 73 carries · 15% explosive (10+ yds) · 49% success rate.
Receiving profile
Receiver profile · Targets, catch rate, and throw depth
How often he's targeted, and how well it works
12 of 12 receptions matched to play-by-play
15 of 15 targets charted for true throw depth
Targets
156% of team targetsCatch rate
80%12 of 15 targetsBehind LOS · Negative air yds
33% of targets (5)
80%catch rate
Air -3.6 · YAC 6.2 avg
Short · 0–9 air yds
67% of targets (10)
80%catch rate
Air 3.5 · YAC 5.0 avg
80% catch rate on 15 targets · 6% of the team's targets.
Teams and coaches
2023Toledo11-3HC: Jason Candle · Run-leaning
2024Toledo8-5HC: Jason Candle · Balanced
2025Toledo8-5HC: Jason Candle · Run-leaning
2026Toledo6-2HC: Mike Jacobs · Balanced
Our ratings
Splits
Home and road splits, scheme and staff
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 7 games
Home vs Road
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home4g | 51.8 | 4.9 | 1.2 |
| Road3g | 72.3 | 7.9 | 0.7 |
First half vs Second half
| YDS/g | YPC | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 60.6 | 6.2 | 1.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Mike Jacobs
Pass share
47.3%
266 pass / 296 run
Plays / game
70.2
8 games
Team sack rate
2.1%
286 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Starter
73 carries and 12 catches in 7 games, about as many touches a game as a typical FBS running back who plays every week.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Zeitgeist Score
58 · #82 of 330 RBs · through 7 games
Three-star recruit. Now #82 at the position.
Starter
The No. 2,302 recruit in the country is carrying the ball in the Mid-American as a senior.
Four seasons at Toledo
2026 is in progress.
- 2026 Toledo JacobsYear 4 · 7 games
- 2025 Toledo CandleYear 3 · 8 games
- 2024 Toledo CandleYear 2 · 13 games
- 2023 Toledo CandleYear 1 · 8 games
- High school PerrysburgPerrysburg, OH · Class of 2023Three-star, No. 2,302 in the 2023 class. Signed with Toledo.
A stat line in 36 games over four seasons.
2023 8 games
- Signed with ToledoThree-star, out of Perrysburg
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023–2025
Toledo
Coaching transition mid-career: Jason Candle → Mike Jacobs. Worth noting in scheme + development context.