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1981 Stanford Cardinals football team

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American college football season

1981 Stanford Cardinals football
ConferencePacific-10 Conference
Record4–7 (4–4 Pac-10)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorJim Fassel (1st season)
Offensive schemeWest Coast
Defensive coordinatorJack Harbaugh (2nd season)
Base defense4–3
Home stadiumStanford Stadium
Seasons← 19801982 →
1981 Pacific-10 Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 10 Washington $ 6 – 2 – 0 10 – 2 – 0
No. 16 Arizona State 5 – 2 – 0 9 – 2 – 0
No. 14 USC 5 – 2 – 0 9 – 3 – 0
Washington State 5 – 2 – 1 8 – 3 – 1
UCLA 5 – 2 – 1 7 – 4 – 1
Arizona 4 – 4 – 0 6 – 5 – 0
Stanford 4 – 4 – 0 4 – 7 – 0
California 2 – 6 – 0 2 – 9 – 0
Oregon 1 – 6 – 0 2 – 9 – 0
Oregon State 0 – 7 – 0 1 – 10 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

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. After 1981, it became the singular Cardinal.

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 1212:20 p.m.at Purdue*No. 19ABCL 19–2762,778
September 191:00 p.m.San Jose State*USAL 6–2867,888
September 261:00 p.m.No. 8 Ohio State*
  • Stanford Stadium
  • Stanford, CA
ESPNL 19–2476,102
October 37:00 p.m.at ArizonaUSAL 13–1741,110
October 101:00 p.m.No. 17 UCLA
  • Stanford Stadium
  • Stanford, CA
USAW 26–2370,103
October 171:00 p.m.at No. 7 USCL 17–2576,291
October 241:00 p.m.No. 17 Arizona State
  • Stanford Stadium
  • Stanford, CA
L 36–6252,855
October 311:30 p.m.at No. 18 WashingtonL 31–4255,856
November 71:00 p.m.at Oregon StateW 63–922,000
November 141:00 p.m.Oregon
  • Stanford Stadium
  • Stanford, CA
USAW 42–336,106
November 211:00 p.m.CaliforniaUSAW 42–2184,536
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Pacific time

Roster

1981 Stanford Cardinal football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
TE 83 Chris Dressel Jr
QB 7 John Elway Jr
HB 31 Darrin Nelson Sr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

References

  1. "What is the history of Stanford's mascot and nickname?". Stanford Athletics website. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  2. "Smith's 3 TDs lead Purdue win". The Kokomo Tribune. September 13, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Willhite leads San Jose State upset of Stanford, 28–6". The Tampa Tribune-Times. September 20, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Ohio State, Schlichter beat Stanford, Elway". Chicago Tribune. September 27, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Holland runs, passes Wildcats over Cardinals 17–13". The Sacramento Bee. October 4, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Stanford outlasts UCLA 26–23 in Pac-10 action". The Idaho Statesman. October 11, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "USC guns down Stanford, 25–17". Mount Vernon Argus. October 18, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Arizona State shells Stanford, 62–36". Santa Cruz Sentinel. October 25, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Huskies stamp Stanford 42–31". The Sunday Oregonian. November 1, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Remarkable Nelson rips OSU". The Sunday Oregonian. November 8, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Stanford dumps hapless Oregon". The Modesto Bee. November 15, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Nelson, Stanford have a really big game". The Los Angeles Times. November 22, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "1981 Stanford Cardinal Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  14. "Starting lineups". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). November 7, 1981. p. 2B.
  15. "Starting lineups". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). November 14, 1981. p. 2B.
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