1981 Toledo Rockets football team

1981 Toledo Rockets football
MAC champion
ConferenceMid-American Conference
Record9–3 (8–1 MAC)
Head coach
Home stadiumGlass Bowl
Seasons
← 1980
1982 →
1981 Mid-American Conference football standings
Conf Overall
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
  • $ – Conference champion

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]

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

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 12at Louisville*
L 6–3121,226[3]
September 19Ball State
W 40–019,204[4]
September 26at East Carolina*
L 24–2821,137[5]
October 3Ohio
  • Glass Bowl
  • Glass Bowl
W 21–14[6]
October 10at Eastern Michigan
W 42–7[7]
October 17Central Michigan
  • Glass Bowl
  • Toledo, OH
W 17–320,737[8]
October 24at Bowling Green
L 0–38[9]
October 31Miami (OH)
  • Glass Bowl
  • Toledo, OH
W 17–20[10]
November 7at Western Michigan
W 28–1417,784[11]
November 14Kent State
  • Glass Bowl
  • Toledo, OH
W 17–0[12]
November 21at Northern Illinois
W 31–0[13]
December 19vs. San Jose State*
W 27–2515,565[14]
  • *Non-conference game

After the season

NFL draft

The 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

  1. ^ "1981 Toledo Rockets Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
  2. ^ "1981 Toledo Rockets Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
  3. ^ "Patterson passes, Clayton catches key U of L romp". The Courier-Journal. September 13, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Toledo humbles Ball State, 40–0, in MAC opener". The Muncie Star. September 20, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Bucs hold on, 28–24". Rocky Mount Telegram. September 27, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Bobcats upset". The Ironton Tribune. October 4, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Toledo romps past Eastern Michigan". Lansing State Journal. October 11, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Toledo triumphs, 17–3, takes 1st place in MAC". The Plain Dealer. October 18, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Toledo loses first of season". The South Bend Tribune. October 25, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Miami falls into 3rd, 17–10". Palladium-Item. November 1, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Toledo knocks WMU from race". The Flint Journal. November 8, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Toledo loses quarterback, ramps Kent". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 15, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Toledo wins MAC by defeating N. Illinois". The Akron Beacon Journal. November 22, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Toledo topples San Jose in first California Bowl". The Billings Gazette. December 20, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "1982 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 30, 2023.


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