1981 Montana Grizzlies football team

American college football season

1981 Montana Grizzlies football

Conference| Big Sky Conference
Record| 7–3 (5–2 Big Sky)
Head coach|

* Larry Donovan (2nd season)

Home stadium| Dornblaser Field

Seasons

<- 1980

1982 ->

1981 Big Sky Conference football standings

* v
* t
* e

| Conf |  |  | Overall

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|
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Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. 2 Idaho State $^  | 6  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 12  | - | 1  | - | 0
No. 5 Boise State ^  | 6  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 10  | - | 3  | - | 0
Montana | 5  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 7  | - | 3  | - | 0
Nevada | 4  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 7  | - | 4  | - | 0
Weber State | 4  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 7  | - | 4  | - | 0
Northern Arizona | 2  | - | 5  | - | 0 |  |  | 4  | - | 7  | - | 0
Montana State | 1  | - | 6  | - | 0 |  |  | 3  | - | 7  | - | 0
Idaho | 0  | - | 7  | - | 0 |  |  | 3  | - | 8  | - | 0

* $ - Conference champion
* ^ - NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant

Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Committee poll

The 1981 Montana Grizzlies football team represented the University of Montana in the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season. A charter member of the Big Sky Conference, the Grizzlies were led by second-year head coach Larry Donovan and played their home games at Dornblaser Field in Missoula.

Montana had an overall record of 7–3 and finished third in the Big Sky at 5–2.

Montana was the only team to defeat Idaho State in 1981; a tie-breaking field goal with seconds remaining was the difference.[1][2][3] The Bengals went on to win the conference title and the Division I-AA championship.[4]

## Schedule[edit]

Date| Opponent| Rank| Site| Result| Attendance| Source

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|
|
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September 19| at Northern Arizona| |

* Walkup Skydome
* Flagstaff, AZ

| W 29–23| |
September 26| Northern Iowa*| |

* Dornblaser Field
* Missoula, MT

| W 42–21| 8,281|
October 3| No. T–9 Boise State| |

* Dornblaser Field
* Missoula, MT

| L 13–27| 8,732|
October 10| at Idaho| |

* Kibbie Dome
* Moscow, ID (Little Brown Stein)

| W 16–14| 11,000|
October 17| No. 2 Idaho State| |

* Dornblaser Field
* Missoula, MT

| W 24–21| 9,190| [2][5]
October 24| Portland State*| |

* Dornblaser Field
* Missoula, MT

| W 33–3| |
October 31| at Montana State| No. 10|

* Reno H. Sales Stadium
* Bozeman, MT (rivalry)

| W 27–17| |
November 7| Nevada| No. 9|

* Dornblaser Field
* Missoula, MT

| W 33–26| |
November 14| Weber State| No. 9|

* Dornblaser Field
* Missoula, MT

| L 6–7| |
November 21| at Eastern Washington*| |

* Joe Albi Stadium
* Spokane, WA (rivalry)

| L 13–14| |

* *Non-conference game
* Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee Poll released prior to the game

[6]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Big Sky: Montana knocks off Idaho State". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. Associated Press. October 18, 1981. p. 7C.
2. ^ a b "ISU's Machurek to miss today's game". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 17, 1981. p. 3C.
3. ^ Emerson, Paul (October 29, 1981). "Kragthorpe's turned Bengals into title contenders in two years". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
4. ^ "Bengals ride like the wind". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. Associated Press. December 20, 1981. p. 2D.
5. ^ "Montana knocks off Idaho State". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. October 18, 1981. p. 7C.
6. ^ "Montana yearly results". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on December 15, 2013. Retrieved July 31, 2013.

## External links[edit]

* Montana Grizzlies football – 1981 media guide

* v
* t
* e

Montana Grizzlies football

Venues|

* Dornblaser Field (I) (1912–1967)
* Naranche Stadium (alternate (Butte), 1938–1950)
* Dornblaser Field (II) (1968–1986)
* Washington–Grizzly Stadium (1986–present)

Bowls & rivalries|

* Eastern Washington: EWU–UM Governors Cup
* Idaho: Little Brown Stein
* Montana State

Culture and lore|

* Monte
* "Up With Montana"
* University of Montana Grizzly Marching Band

People|

* Head coaches
* NFL draftees

Seasons|

* 1897
* 1898
* 1899
* 1900
* 1901
* 1902
* 1903
* 1904
* 1905
* 1906
* 1907
* 1908
* 1909
* 1910
* 1911
* 1912
* 1913
* 1914
* 1915
* 1916
* 1917
* 1918
* 1919
* 1920
* 1921
* 1922
* 1923
* 1924
* 1925
* 1926
* 1927
* 1928
* 1929
* 1930
* 1931
* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
* 1940
* 1941
* 1942
* 1943–1944
* 1945
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
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* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023

National championship seasons in bold
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Conf]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[T]: Ties
*[No.]: Number