1981 Ohio Bobcats football team

The 1981 Ohio Bobcats football team was an American football team that represented Ohio University in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their third season under head coach Brian Burke, the Bobcats compiled a 5–6 record (5–4 against MAC opponents), finished in a tie for fifth place in the MAC, and were outscored by all opponents by a combined total of 257 to 228.^[1][2][3] They played their home games in Peden Stadium in Athens, Ohio.^[4]

1981 Ohio Bobcats football
Conference	Mid-American Conference
Record	5–6 (5–4 MAC)
Head coach	Brian Burke (3rd season)
Home stadium	Peden Stadium
Seasons ← 1980 1982 →

1981 Mid-American Conference football standings

v t e	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

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 12	at Minnesota*	Memorial Stadium Minneapolis, MN	L 17–19	40,086	[5]
September 19	Bowling Green	Peden Stadium Athens, OH	W 23–21	15,924	[6]
September 26	Ball State	Peden Stadium Athens, OH	W 30–27		[7]
October 3	at Toledo	Glass Bowl Toledo, OH	L 14–21		[8]
October 10	Cincinnati*	Peden Stadium Athens, OH	L 9–19		[9]
October 17	Eastern Michigan	Peden Stadium Athens, OH	W 29–7		[10]
October 24	at Miami (OH)	Miami Field Oxford, OH (rivalry)	L 14–40	17,583	[11]
October 31	Central Michigan	Peden Stadium Athens, OH	L 21–38		[12]
November 7	at Northern Illinois	Huskie Stadium DeKalb, IL	L 14–38		[13]
November 14	Western Michigan	Peden Stadium Athens, OH	W 37–20		[14]
November 21	at Kent State	Dix Stadium Kent, OH	W 20–7	3,000	[15]
*Non-conference game

References

1. "1981 Ohio Bobcats Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
2. "2015 Ohio Football Media Guide" (PDF). Ohio University. 2015. pp. 92, 94. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 7, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
3. "Brian Burke". Sports Reference.
4. "Peden Stadium". Ohio University Athletics. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
5. "Gophers tip Ohio". Wisconsin State Journal. September 13, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Harter's late field goal gives OU win over BG". The Lima News. September 20, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Bobcats edge Ball State". Palladium-Item. September 27, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Bobcats upset". The Ironton Tribune. October 4, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Bearcats upset OU 19–9". The Times Recorder. October 11, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Ohio University 29, Eastern Michigan 7". The Kansas City Star. October 18, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Miami takes MAC lead". Dayton Daily News. October 25, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "CMU a winner". Lansing State Journal. November 1, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Northern Illinois topples Ohio, 38–14". The Pantagraph. November 8, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "Western comeback just short". The South Bend Tribune. November 15, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
15. "Ohio University downs Flashes in finale, 20–7". The Plain Dealer. November 22, 1981. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.