The 1981 UCLA Bruins football team was an American football team that represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their sixth year under head coach Terry Donahue, the Bruins compiled a 7–4–1 record (5–2–1 Pac-10), finished in a tie for fourth place in the Pacific-10 Conference, and lost to Michigan in the 1981 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl.[1]
UCLA's offensive leaders in 1981 were quarterback Tom Ramsey with 1,793 passing yards, running back Kevin Nelson with 883 rushing yards, and wide receiver Cormac Carney with 539 receiving yards.[2]
This was the Bruins' final season at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, their home field since 1928, sharing with the USC Trojans. UCLA moved to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for the 1982 season.
Schedule
Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
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September 12 | at Arizona | No. 12 | | | W 35–18 | 49,311 | [3] |
September 19 | at No. 20 Wisconsin* | No. 9 | | | W 31–13 | 69,212 | [4] |
September 26 | at Iowa* | No. 6 | | KTLA | L 7–20 | 60,004 | [5] |
October 3 | Colorado* | No. 16 | | | W 27–7 | 40,347 | [6] |
October 10 | at Stanford | No. 17 | | | L 23–26 | 70,103 | [7] |
October 17 | at No. 18 Washington State | | | ABC | T 17–17 | 40,000 | [8] |
October 24 | California | | - Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
- Los Angeles, CA
| | W 34–6 | 41,637 | [9] |
October 31 | at Oregon | | | | W 28–11 | 24,272 | [10] |
November 7 | No. 16 Washington | | - Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
- Los Angeles, CA
| | W 31–0 | 41,818 | [11] |
November 14 | No. 9 Arizona State | No. 18 | - Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
- Los Angeles, CA
| | W 34–24 | 47,361 | [12] |
November 21 | at No. 10 USC | No. 15 | | ABC | L 21–22 | 89,432 | [13] |
| vs. No. 16 Michigan* | No. 19 | | | L 14–33 | 50,107 | [14] |
- *Non-conference game
- Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
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Personnel
1981 UCLA Bruins 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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[15]
1982 NFL draft
The following players were drafted into professional football following the season.
Player |
Position |
Round |
Pick |
Franchise
|
Luis Sharpe |
Tackle |
1 |
16 |
St. Louis Cardinals
|
Tim Wrightman |
Tight end |
3 |
62 |
Chicago Bears
|
[16]
References
- ^ "1981 UCLA Bruins Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
- ^ "1981 UCLA Bruins Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
- ^ "Bruins hold off Arizona". The Daily Breeze. September 13, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bruins start quick; dump Badgers". Herald-Times-Reporter. September 20, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Hawkeyes stun UCLA". The Sioux City Journal. September 27, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "UCLA coasts to win". The Atlanta Journal & Constitution. 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.
- ^ "WSU still unbeaten, but UCLA gains tie". The Columbian. October 18, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "UCLA swamps Cal 34–6". The Palm Beach Post. October 25, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Andrews leads UCLA". The Daily Breeze. November 1, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "UCLA dims Huskies' Rose Bowl ambitions". Tri-City Herald. November 8, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bruins rally, tip ASU". The Sunday Oregonian. November 15, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Blocked field goal costs UCLA". Statesman Journal. November 22, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "U-M bops Bruins' bonnets". Detroit Free Press. January 1, 1982. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "1981 UCLA Bruins Roster". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
- ^ "1982 NFL Draft Listing - Pro-Football-Reference.com". Archived from the original on December 21, 2007.
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Venues | |
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Bowls and rivalries | |
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Culture and lore | |
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People | |
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Seasons | |
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National championship seasons in bold |