1981 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

1981 Illinois Fighting Illini football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record7–4 (6–3 Big Ten)
Head coach
MVPs
Captains
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
1981 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 15 Ohio State + 6 – 2 – 0 9 – 3 – 0
No. 18 Iowa + 6 – 2 – 0 8 – 4 – 0
No. 12 Michigan 6 – 3 – 0 9 – 3 – 0
6 – 3 – 0 7 – 4 – 0
Wisconsin 6 – 3 – 0 7 – 5 – 0
Minnesota 4 – 5 – 0 6 – 5 – 0
Michigan State 4 – 5 – 0 5 – 6 – 0
Purdue 3 – 6 – 0 5 – 6 – 0
Indiana 3 – 6 – 0 3 – 8 – 0
Northwestern 0 – 9 – 0 0 – 11 – 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1981 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football team that represented the University of Illinois during the 1981 Big Ten Conference football season. In their second year under head coach Mike White, the Illini compiled a 7–4 record and finished in three-way tie for third place in the Big Ten Conference.[1]

The team's offensive leaders were quarterback Tony Eason with 3,360 passing yards, running back Calvin Thomas with 390 rushing yards, and wide receiver Oliver Williams with 760 receiving yards.[2] Several Illinois players ranked among the Big Ten leaders, including the following:

  • Tony Eason led the conference with 248 pass completions, a 61.1 pass completion percentage, 3,360 passing yards, a 140.0 passing efficiency rating, 20 passing touchdowns, 14 interceptions, and 3,331 total yards.[3]
  • Oliver Williams ranked third in the conference with six receiving touchdowns and 20.0 yards per reception and ranked fifth in the conference with 760 receiving yards.[3]
  • Kirby Wilson ranked second in the conference with 546 kickoff return yards.[3]
  • Mike Bass ranked third in the conference with 33 extra points made, fifth with 10 field goals and a 58.8% field goal percentage, and sixth with 63 points scored.[3]

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 5at No. 8 Pittsburgh*
L 6–2646,022[4]
September 12at Michigan State
W 27–1754,945[5]
September 19Syracuse*
W 17–1457,579[6]
October 3Minnesota
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
W 38–2963,814[7]
October 10at Purdue
L 20–4469,846[8]
October 17at Ohio State
L 27–3487,158[9]
October 24Wisconsin
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
W 23–2167,413[10]
October 31No. 16 Iowa
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
W 24–766,877[11]
November 7at No. 12 Michigan
L 21–70105,570[12]
November 14Indiana
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL (rivalry)
W 35–1456,143[13]
November 21at Northwestern
W 49–1223,116[14]
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Roster

1981 Illinois Fighting Illini football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
RB 33 Mitchell Brookins Jr
QB 3 Tony Eason Jr
G 65 Marty Finis Jr
OT 72 Dennis Flynn Sr
C 55 Adam Lingner Jr
WR 13 John Lopez Sr
WR 4 Mike Martin Jr
TE 86 Tim McAvoy Sr
FB 42 Calvin Thomas Sr
QB 11 Jack Trudeau Fr
QB John Wells Jr
FB 44 Kevin West Jr
WR 17 Oliver Williams Jr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DB 37 Charles Armstead Jr
OLB 84 Kelvin Atkins Sr
LB 61 Ed Brady So
OLB 31 Pete Burgard Sr
DT 51 Tom Buron So
DT 53 Mark Butkus So
OLB 57 Darryl Byrd Jr
LB 29 Ron Ferrari Sr
LB 34 Jack Squirek Sr
DT 96 Don Thorp So
DB 24 Mike Toney Jr
DL 94 Mark Tuck Jr
DB Tom Varrige Jr
OLB 7 John Vengoni Sr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured
  • Redshirt

Roster

Season summary

Northwestern

Tony Eason threw three touchdown passes to set the Big Ten single season record. The two teams overall combined to throw 109 passes, breaking the conference mark set earlier in the year by Minnesota and Ohio State.[15]

References

  1. ^ "1981 Illinois Fighting Illini Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  2. ^ "1981 Illinois Fighting Illini Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d "1981 Big Ten Conference Year Summary". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  4. ^ "Pitt overcomes jitters, Illinois". Wisconsin State Journal. September 6, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Wilson who? Eason passes carry Illinois". The Rock Island Argus. September 13, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Winless Syracuse beaten by Illinois". Democrat and Chronicle. September 20, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Illinois dumps Gophers". The Vincennes Sun-Commercial. October 4, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Defensive element of disguise fools Illinois". Herald and Review. October 11, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Ohio State survives air assault by Illini". The Plain Dealer. October 18, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Illini vault into title race". Quad-City Times. October 25, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Defense leads Illini over Iowa". Chicago Tribune. November 1, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Unbelievable; UM burns Illini for 63 unanswered points". The Flint Journal. November 8, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Illini rout Indiana, 35–14". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. November 15, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Illinois proves superior in chilly 110-pass circus". Wisconsin State Journal. November 22, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Eugene Register-Guard. 1981 Nov 22. Retrieved 2018-Dec-12.
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