The 1981 Stanford Cardinals football team represented Stanford University in the Pacific-10 Conference during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by second-year head coach Paul Wiggin, the Cardinal had an overall record of 4–7 (4–4 in Pac-10, tied for sixth), and played home games on campus at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California. Ranked in the preseason top twenty, Stanford opened with four losses and dropped six of its first seven games to incur their first losing season since 1963.
From 1972 until November 17, 1981, Stanford's official nickname was Cardinals, in reference to one of the school colors, not the bird.[1] After 1981, it became the singular Cardinal.
Schedule
Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
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September 12 | 12:20 p.m. | at Purdue* | No. 19 | | ABC | L 19–27 | 62,778 | [2] |
September 19 | 1:00 p.m. | San Jose State* | | | USA | L 6–28 | 67,888 | [3] |
September 26 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 8 Ohio State* | | - Stanford Stadium
- Stanford, CA
| ESPN | L 19–24 | 76,102 | [4] |
October 3 | 7:00 p.m. | at Arizona | | | USA | L 13–17 | 41,110 | [5] |
October 10 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 17 UCLA | | - Stanford Stadium
- Stanford, CA
| USA | W 26–23 | 70,103 | [6] |
October 17 | 1:00 p.m. | at No. 7 USC | | | | L 17–25 | 76,291 | [7] |
October 24 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 17 Arizona State | | - Stanford Stadium
- Stanford, CA
| | L 36–62 | 52,855 | [8] |
October 31 | 1:30 p.m. | at No. 18 Washington | | | | L 31–42 | 55,856 | [9] |
November 7 | 1:00 p.m. | at Oregon State | | | | W 63–9 | 22,000 | [10] |
November 14 | 1:00 p.m. | Oregon | | - Stanford Stadium
- Stanford, CA
| USA | W 42–3 | 36,106 | [11] |
November 21 | 1:00 p.m. | California | | | USA | W 42–21 | 84,536 | [12] |
- *Non-conference game
- Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
- All times are in Pacific time
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[13]
Roster
1981 Stanford Cardinal football team roster
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Players
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Coaches
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Offense
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Defense
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Special teams
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- Head coach
- Coordinators/assistant coaches
- Legend
- (C) Team captain
- (S) Suspended
- (I) Ineligible
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[14][15]
References
- ^ "What is the history of Stanford's mascot and nickname?". Stanford Athletics website. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
- ^ "Smith's 3 TDs lead Purdue win". The Kokomo Tribune. September 13, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Willhite leads San Jose State upset of Stanford, 28–6". The Tampa Tribune-Times. September 20, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ohio State, Schlichter beat Stanford, Elway". Chicago Tribune. September 27, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Holland runs, passes Wildcats over Cardinals 17–13". The Sacramento Bee. October 4, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Stanford outlasts UCLA 26–23 in Pac-10 action". The Idaho Statesman. October 11, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "USC guns down Stanford, 25–17". Mount Vernon Argus. October 18, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Arizona State shells Stanford, 62–36". Santa Cruz Sentinel. October 25, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Huskies stamp Stanford 42–31". The Sunday Oregonian. November 1, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Remarkable Nelson rips OSU". The Sunday Oregonian. November 8, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Stanford dumps hapless Oregon". The Modesto Bee. November 15, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Nelson, Stanford have a really big game". The Los Angeles Times. November 22, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "1981 Stanford Cardinal Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
- ^ "Starting lineups". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). November 7, 1981. p. 2B.
- ^ "Starting lineups". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). November 14, 1981. p. 2B.
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