The 1981 Purdue Boilermakers football team represented Purdue University during the 1981 Big Ten Conference football season. Led by Jim Young in his fifth and final season as head coach, the Boilermakers compiled an overall record of 5–6 with a mark of 3–6 in conference play, tying for eighth place in the Big Ten. Purdue played home games at Ross–Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Several Purdue players ranked among the Big Ten leaders, including the following:
- Wide receiver Steve Bryant led the Big Ten with 60 receptions and 11 receiving touchdowns and ranked second with 971 receiving yards and fifth with 66 points scored.[1]
- Quarterback Scott Campbell ranked second in the conference with 185 pass completions, a 57.6% pass completion percentage, 2,686 passing yards, a 138.3 passing efficiency rating, and 2,809 total yards.[1]
- Running back Jimmy Smith ranked fourth in the conference with 152 rushing attempts and ninth with 540 rushing yards.[1]
Schedule
Date | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
---|
September 12 | No. 19 Stanford* | | ABC | W 27–19 | 69,958 | [2] |
September 19 | at Minnesota | | | L 13–16 | 41,530 | [3] |
September 26 | No. 13 Notre Dame* | - Ross–Ade Stadium
- West Lafayette, IN (rivalry)
| | W 15–14 | 70,007 | [4] |
October 3 | at Wisconsin | | | L 14–20 | 68,603 | [5] |
October 10 | Illinois | - Ross–Ade Stadium
- West Lafayette, IN (rivalry)
| | W 44–20 | 69,846 | [6] |
October 17 | at Northwestern | | | W 35–0 | 20,777 | [7] |
October 24 | Michigan State | - Ross–Ade Stadium
- West Lafayette, IN
| | W 27–26 | 69,877 | [8] |
October 31 | Ohio State | - Ross–Ade Stadium
- West Lafayette, IN
| | L 33–45 | 69,927 | [9] |
November 7 | at Iowa | | | L 7–33 | 60,114 | [10] |
November 14 | No. 11 Michigan | - Ross–Ade Stadium
- West Lafayette, IN
| | L 10–28 | 69,736 | [11][12] |
November 21 | at Indiana | | | L 17–20 | 48,466 | [13] |
- *Non-conference game
- Homecoming
- Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
|
[14]
Game summaries
Notre Dame
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Notre Dame |
0 |
7 | 0 | 7 |
14 |
• Purdue |
0 |
0 | 7 | 8 |
15 |
- Date: September 26
- Location: Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, Indiana
- Game attendance: 70,007
Scoring summary |
2 | | ND | Smith 1 yard run (Oliver kick) | Notre Dame 7-0 |
|
3 | | PUR | Jones 1 yard run (Anderson kick) | Tie 7-7 |
|
4 | 2:57 | ND | Carter 30 yard run (Oliver kick) | Notre Dame 14-7 |
|
4 | :19 | PUR | Bryant 7 yard pass from Campbell (Bryant pass from Campbell) | Purdue 15-14 |
[15]
Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes (5–2) at Purdue Boilermakers (5–2)
at Ross–Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Indiana
- Date: October 31, 1981
- Game time: 12:30 p.m.
- Game weather: Partly sunny, 66 °F (19 °C)
- Game attendance: 69,927
- Referee: Jerry Hendrickson
- TV: ABC
Team |
Category |
Player |
Statistics
|
Ohio St
|
Passing |
Art Schlichter |
19/33, 336 Yds, 3 TD, INT
|
Rushing |
Tim Spencer |
22 Rush, 95 Yds, TD
|
Receiving |
Gary Williams |
7 Rec, 126 Yds
|
Purdue
|
Passing |
Scott Campbell |
31/52, 516 Yds, 3 TD, 2 INT
|
Rushing |
Jimmy Smith |
11 Rush, 33 Yds
|
Receiving |
Steve Bryant |
10 Rec, 195 Yds, 2 TD
|
Scoring summary
|
Quarter
|
Time
|
Drive
|
Team
|
Scoring information
|
Score
|
Plays
|
Yards
|
TOP
|
OSU
|
PU
|
1
|
3:11
|
10
|
71
|
3:40
|
Purdue
|
Cliff Benson 11-yard touchdown reception from Scott Campbell, Tim Clark kick good
|
0
|
7
|
2
|
11:24
|
6
|
32
|
2:46
|
Ohio St
|
53-yard field goal by Bob Atha
|
3
|
7
|
2
|
8:45
|
2
|
16
|
0:42
|
Ohio St
|
Art Schlichter 14-yard touchdown run, Bob Atha kick good
|
10
|
7
|
2
|
6:58
|
1
|
47
|
0:07
|
Ohio St
|
Cedric Anderson 47-yard touchdown reception from Art Schlichter, Bob Atha kick good
|
17
|
7
|
2
|
4:38
|
5
|
70
|
2:20
|
Purdue
|
Steve Bryant 32-yard touchdown reception from Scott Campbell, Tim Clark kick good
|
17
|
14
|
3
|
12:24
|
7
|
80
|
2:36
|
Purdue
|
26-yard field goal by Tim Clark
|
17
|
17
|
3
|
10:45
|
9
|
83
|
1:39
|
Ohio St
|
Jim Gayle 2-yard touchdown run, Bob Atha kick good
|
24
|
17
|
3
|
2:04
|
6
|
59
|
1:26
|
Purdue
|
38-yard field goal by Tim Clark
|
24
|
20
|
4
|
14:45
|
9
|
75
|
2:19
|
Ohio St
|
Tim Spencer 2-yard touchdown run, Bob Atha kick good
|
31
|
20
|
4
|
14:32
|
1
|
23
|
0:05
|
Ohio St
|
Cedric Anderson 23-yard touchdown reception from Art Schlichter, Bob Atha kick good
|
38
|
20
|
4
|
9:10
|
15
|
71
|
5:22
|
Purdue
|
Wally Jones 1-yard touchdown run, 2-point pass failed
|
38
|
26
|
4
|
7:12
|
2
|
8
|
0:09
|
Purdue
|
Steve Bryant 4-yard touchdown reception from Scott Campbell, Tim Clark kick good
|
38
|
33
|
4
|
2:19
|
5
|
62
|
1:44
|
Ohio St
|
John Frank 29-yard touchdown reception from Art Schlichter, Bob Atha kick good
|
45
|
33
|
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.
|
45
|
33
|
|
Indiana
Statistics
- Jeff Feulner 18 rushes, 108 yards
Rpster
1981 Purdue Boilermakers football team roster
|
Players
|
Coaches
|
Offense
|
Defense
|
Special teams
Pos. |
# |
Name |
Class
|
K
|
|
Rick Anderson
|
P
|
|
Jim Bosche
|
K
|
|
Tim Clark
|
KR
|
|
Scott Craig
|
P
|
|
Matt Kinzer
|
|
- Head coach
- Coordinators/assistant coaches
- Legend
- (C) Team captain
- (S) Suspended
- (I) Ineligible
|
[16]
References
- ^ a b c "1981 Big Ten Conference Year Summary". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
- ^ "Smith's 3 TDs lead Purdue win". The Kokomo Tribune. September 13, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Gophers defense tightens to stop Boilers". Chronicle Tribune. September 20, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Purdue upsets Irish". The Kokomo Tribune. September 27, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Wisconsin storms past Purdue". The Macon Telegraph & News. October 4, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Defensive element of disguise fools Illinois". Herald and Review. October 11, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Turnovers keep Wildcats headed down losing road". The Rock Island Argus. October 18, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Wind saves Purdue from Michigan State". Chicago Tribune. October 25, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Buckeyes take Big Ten lead". The Akron Beacon Journal. November 1, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Purdue foiled, 33–7, by stingy Hawkeye D". Dayton Daily News. November 8, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Joe Lapointe (November 15, 1981). "U-M foils Boilermakers: Win sets up Rose War with OSU". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1E, 7E – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Greg DeGulis (November 15, 1981). "Michigan stalls Boilermakers, 28–10". The Michigan Daily. pp. 1, 10 – via Bentley Historical Library.
- ^ "Classic finish returns Bucket to Indiana". Anderson Herald. November 22, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "1981 Purdue Boilermakers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ Palm Beach Post. 1981 Sept 27.
- ^ "1981 Purdue Boilermakers Roster". Retrieved January 22, 2025.
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