1981 Youngstown State Penguins football team

The 1981 Youngstown State Penguins football team represented Youngstown State University during the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by seventh-year head coach Bill Narduzzi, the Penguins compiled an overall record of 7–4 with a mark of 3–3 on conference play, and finished tied for second in the OVC.

1981 Youngstown State Penguins football
Conference	Ohio Valley Conference
Record	7–4 (5–3 OVC)
Head coach	Bill Narduzzi (7th season)
Captains	Jeff Gergel Brett Modic
Home stadium	Rayen Stadium
Seasons ← 1980 1982 →

1981 Ohio Valley Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 1 Eastern Kentucky $^	8	–	0	–	0			12	–	2	–	0
No. 9 Murray State	5	–	3	–	0			8	–	3	–	0
Youngstown State	5	–	3	–	0			7	–	4	–	0
Tennessee Tech	4	–	4	–	0			6	–	5	–	0
Middle Tennessee	4	–	4	–	0			6	–	5	–	0
Western Kentucky	4	–	4	–	0			6	–	5	–	0
Akron	4	–	4	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Austin Peay	3	–	5	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Morehead State	0	–	8	–	0			1	–	9	–	0
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 5	at Cincinnati*	Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH	W 16–13	8,304	[1]
September 12	Eastern Kentucky	Rayen Stadium Youngstown, OH	L 6–26		[2]
September 19	Murray State	Rayen Stadium Youngstown, OH	L 9–13		[3]
October 3	at Akron	Rubber Bowl Akron, OH (rivalry)	W 34–7		[4]
October 10	Western Kentucky	Rayen Stadium Youngstown, OH	L 14–35	4,029	[5]
October 17	at No. T–6 Delaware*	Delaware Stadium Newark, DE	W 24–21	18,645	[6]
October 24	Eastern Illinois*	Rayen Stadium Youngstown, OH	W 48–16		[7]
October 31	at Middle Tennessee	Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium Murfreesboro, TN	W 13–10	10,000	[8]
November 7	Western Illinois*	Rayen Stadium Youngstown, OH	W 34–22		[9]
November 14	at Morehead State	Jayne Stadium Morehead, KY	W 38–7		[10]
November 21	at Northern Iowa*	UNI-Dome Cedar Falls, IA	L 43–45		[11]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee Poll released prior to the game

References

1. "Victory escapes Bearcats". The Cincinnati Enquirer. September 6, 1981. Retrieved October 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Eastern wins, 26–6". The State Journal. September 13, 1981. Retrieved October 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Murray St. 13, Youngstown St. 9". Evansville Courier and Press. September 20, 1981. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Youngstown State romps over Akron". Springfield News-Sun. October 4, 1981. Retrieved October 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Western beats Y-town 35–14". The Advocate-Messenger. October 11, 1981. Retrieved October 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
6. Tomashek, Tom (October 18, 1981). "Hens fall to Youngstown 24–21". Sunday News Journal. p. D-1. Retrieved October 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "YSU Penguins score win". The Tribune. October 25, 1981. Retrieved October 29, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Raiders drop homecoming 13–10". The Daily News-Journal. November 1, 1981. Retrieved October 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Leathernecks upended". The Dispatch. November 8, 1981. Retrieved October 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Youngstown rips Morehead 38–7". The Park City Daily News. November 15, 1981. Retrieved October 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "It's UNI by 45–43 in rousing finale". The Sioux City Journal. November 22, 1981. Retrieved October 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.