1981 Ball State Cardinals football team

American college football season

1981 Ball State Cardinals football

Conference| Mid-American Conference
Record| 4–7 (2–6 MAC)
Head coach|

* Dwight Wallace (4th season)

Home stadium| Ball State Stadium

Seasons

<- 1980

1982 ->

1981 Mid-American Conference football standings

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| 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

* $ - Conference champion

The 1981 Ball State Cardinals football team was an American football team that represented Ball State University in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. In its fourth season under head coach Dwight Wallace, the team compiled a 4–7 record (2–6 against MAC opponents) and finished in eighth place out of ten teams in the conference.[1][2] The team played its home games at Ball State Stadium in Muncie, Indiana.

The team's statistical leaders included Doug Freed with 1,517 passing yards, Terry Lymon with 633 rushing yards, Stevie Nelson with 635 receiving yards, and Mike Schafer with 49 points scored.[3]

## Schedule[edit]

Date| Opponent| Site| Result| Attendance| Source

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|
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September 12| McNeese State*|

* Ball State Stadium
* Muncie, IN

| W 24–21| 14,337| [4]
September 19| at Toledo|

* Glass Bowl
* Toledo, OH

| L 0–40| |
September 26| at Ohio|

* Peden Stadium
* Athens, OH

| L 27–30| |
October 3| Northern Illinois|

* Ball State Stadium
* Muncie, IN (rivalry)

| W 23–0| |
October 10| at Indiana State*|

* Memorial Stadium
* Terre Haute, IN (Blue Key Victory Bell)

| L 7–31| | [5]
October 17| Kent State|

* Ball State Stadium
* Muncie, IN

| L 7–17| |
October 24| at Western Michigan|

* Waldo Stadium
* Kalamazoo, MI

| L 3–14| |
October 31| Eastern Michigan|

* Ball State Stadium
* Muncie, IN

| W 35–13| |
November 7| Bowling Green|

* Ball State Stadium
* Muncie, IN

| L 10–14| |
November 14| Central Michigan|

* Ball State Stadium
* Muncie, IN

| L 7–28| |
November 21| at Illinois State*|

* Hancock Stadium
* Normal, IL

| W 14–10| 4,832| [6]

* *Non-conference game

## References[edit]

1. ^ "2007 Ball State Football Media Guide". Ball State University. 2007. p. 98. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
2. ^ "1981 Ball State Cardinals Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sport Reference LLC. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
3. ^ "1981 Ball State Cardinals Statistics". SR/College Football. Sport Reference LLC. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
4. ^ "BSU tops McNeese St. behind Freed, 24–21". The Indianapolis Star. September 13, 1981. Retrieved March 3, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
5. ^ "Sycamores rip Ball State, 31–7". Palladium-Item. October 11, 1981. Retrieved August 17, 2022 - via Newspapers.com.
6. ^ "Ball State defense stiffens to secure a winning finale". The Muncie Star. November 22, 1981. Retrieved August 17, 2022 - via Newspapers.com.

* v
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Ball State Cardinals football

Venues|

* Ball State Field (1924–1967)
* Scheumann Stadium (1967–present)

Bowls & rivalries|

* Bowl games
* Indiana State (Blue Key Victory Bell)
* Northern Illinois (Bronze Stalk Trophy)

Culture & lore|

* Charlie Cardinal
* The Pride of Mid-America Marching Band

People|

* Head coaches
* NFL draftees
* Statistical leaders

Seasons|

* 1924
* 1925
* 1926
* 1927
* 1928
* 1929
* 1930
* 1931
* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
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* 1941
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* 1950
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*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Conf]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[T]: Ties