The 1981 Toledo Rockets Football Team was an American football team that represented the University of Toledo in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their fifth and final season under head coach Chuck Stobart, the Rockets compiled a 9–3 record (8–1 against MAC opponents), won the MAC championship, outscored all opponents by a combined total of 270 to 170, won the Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship, and defeated San Jose State, 27–25, in the 1981 California Bowl.[1]
| 1981 Toledo Rockets football | |
|---|---|
MAC champion | |
California Bowl, W 27–25 vs. San Jose State | |
| Conference | Mid-American Conference |
| Record | 9–3 (8–1 MAC) |
| Head coach |
|
| Home stadium | Glass Bowl |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Toledo $ | 8 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Miami (OH) | 6 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 8 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Central Michigan | 7 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling Green | 5 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Western Michigan | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ohio | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kent State | 3 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ball State | 2 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Illinois | 2 | – | 7 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Michigan | 0 | – | 9 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 11 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The team's statistical leaders included Jim Kelso with 975 passing yards, Arnold Smiley with 1,013 rushing yards, and Rodney Achter with 361 receiving yards.[2]
Schedule
edit| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 12 | at Louisville* | L 6–31 | 21,226 | [3] | |||
| September 19 | Ball State | W 40–0 | 19,204 | [4] | |||
| September 26 | at East Carolina* | L 24–28 | 21,137 | [5] | |||
| October 3 | Ohio |
| W 21–14 | [6] | |||
| October 10 | at Eastern Michigan | W 42–7 | [7] | ||||
| October 17 | Central Michigan |
| W 17–3 | 20,737 | [8] | ||
| October 24 | at Bowling Green | L 0–38 | [9] | ||||
| October 31 | Miami (OH) |
| W 17–20 | [10] | |||
| November 7 | at Western Michigan | W 28–14 | 17,784 | [11] | |||
| November 14 | Kent State |
| W 17–0 | [12] | |||
| November 21 | at Northern Illinois | W 31–0 | [13] | ||||
| December 19 | vs. San Jose State* | W 27–25 | 15,565 | [14] | |||
| |||||||
After the season
editNFL draft
editThe following Rocket was selected in the 1982 NFL draft following the season.[15]
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 177 | Jeff Jackson | Defensive end | Los Angeles Raiders |
References
edit- ^ "1981 Toledo Rockets Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
- ^ "1981 Toledo Rockets Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
- ^ "Patterson passes, Clayton catches key U of L romp". The Courier-Journal. September 13, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Toledo humbles Ball State, 40–0, in MAC opener". The Muncie Star. September 20, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bucs hold on, 28–24". Rocky Mount Telegram. September 27, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bobcats upset". The Ironton Tribune. October 4, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Toledo romps past Eastern Michigan". Lansing State Journal. October 11, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Toledo triumphs, 17–3, takes 1st place in MAC". The Plain Dealer. October 18, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Toledo loses first of season". The South Bend Tribune. October 25, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Miami falls into 3rd, 17–10". Palladium-Item. November 1, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Toledo knocks WMU from race". The Flint Journal. November 8, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Toledo loses quarterback, ramps Kent". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 15, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Toledo wins MAC by defeating N. Illinois". The Akron Beacon Journal. November 22, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Toledo topples San Jose in first California Bowl". The Billings Gazette. December 20, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "1982 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
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