1981 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team

American college football season

1981 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football

Conference| Independent
Record| 5–6
Head coach|

* Frank R. Burns (9th season)

Home stadium| Rutgers Stadium
Giants Stadium

Seasons

<- 1980

1982 ->

1981 Major eastern college football independents records

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| Conf. |  |  | Overall

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Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. 3 Penn State $  | 5  | - | 0  | - | 0 |  |  | 10  | - | 2  | - | 0
No. 4 Pittsburgh | 5  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 11  | - | 1  | - | 0
No. 17 West Virginia | 3  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 9  | - | 3  | - | 0
Temple | 2  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 5  | - | 0
Syracuse | 2  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 4  | - | 6  | - | 1
Boston College | 1  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 6  | - | 0
Rutgers | 1  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 6  | - | 0

* $ – Lambert Trophy Winner

Rankings from AP Poll
1981 NCAA Division I-A independents football records

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| Conf. |  |  | Overall

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Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. 4 Pittsburgh |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 11  | - | 1  | - | 0
No. 3 Penn State |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 10  | - | 2  | - | 0
No. 8 Miami (FL) |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 9  | - | 2  | - | 0
Southern Miss |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 9  | - | 2  | - | 1
No. 17 West Virginia |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 9  | - | 3  | - | 0
Colgate |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 7  | - | 3  | - | 0
Virginia Tech |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 7  | - | 4  | - | 0
Navy |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 7  | - | 4  | - | 1
Cincinnati |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 6  | - | 5  | - | 0
Florida State |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 6  | - | 5  | - | 0
Holy Cross |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 6  | - | 5  | - | 0
Tulane |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 6  | - | 5  | - | 0
UNLV |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 6  | - | 6  | - | 0
South Carolina |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 6  | - | 6  | - | 0
Temple |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 5  | - | 5  | - | 0
Boston College |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 5  | - | 6  | - | 0
East Carolina |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 5  | - | 6  | - | 0
Northeast Louisiana |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 5  | - | 6  | - | 0
Louisville |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 5  | - | 6  | - | 0
Notre Dame |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 5  | - | 6  | - | 0
Rutgers |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 5  | - | 6  | - | 0
William & Mary |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 5  | - | 6  | - | 0
Syracuse |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 4  | - | 6  | - | 1
Richmond |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 4  | - | 7  | - | 0
Army |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 3  | - | 7  | - | 1
North Texas State |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 2  | - | 9  | - | 0
Georgia Tech |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 1  | - | 10  | - | 0
Memphis State |  | - |  | - |  |  |  | 1  | - | 10  | - | 0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1981 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team represented Rutgers University in the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their ninth season under head coach Frank R. Burns, the Scarlet Knights compiled a 5–6 record while competing as an independent and were outscored by their opponents 208 to 139.[1][2] The team's statistical leaders included Ralph Leek with 926 passing yards, Albert Ray with 679 rushing yards, and Andrew Baker with 356 receiving yards.[3]

## Schedule

[edit]

Date| Opponent| Site| Result| Attendance| Source

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September 5| at Syracuse|

* Carrier Dome
* Syracuse, NY

| W 29–27| 38,715| [4]
September 12| Colgate|

* Rutgers Stadium
* Piscataway, NJ

| W 13–5| 18,655| [5]
September 18| vs. Virginia|

* Giants Stadium
* East Rutherford, NJ

| W 3–0| 22,816| [6]
September 26| at Cincinnati|

* Nippert Stadium
* Cincinnati, OH

| L 0–10| 13,657| [7]
October 3| Cornell|

* Rutgers Stadium
* Piscataway, NJ

| W 31–17| 10,125| [8]
October 10| at Army|

* Michie Stadium
* West Point, NY

| W 17–0| 40,567| [9]
October 17| Temple|

* Rutgers Stadium
* Piscataway, NJ

| L 12–24| 22,189| [10]
October 24| at No. 11 Alabama|

* Bryant–Denny Stadium
* Tuscaloosa, AL

| L 7–31| 60,210| [11]
November 7|  No. 1 Pittsburgh|

* Giants Stadium
* East Rutherford, NJ

| L 3–47| 34,636| [12]
November 14| at West Virginia|

* Mountaineer Field
* Morgantown, WV

| L 3–20| 44,395| [13]
November 21| at Boston College|

* Alumni Stadium
* Chestnut Hill, MA

| L 21–27| 16,500| [14]

* Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game

## Roster

[edit]

1981 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team roster

Players  | Coaches
Offense | Pos. | # | Name | Class

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RB | `31` | Joe Burke | Jr
C | `61` | Mike Flynn | Jr
WR | `84` | Jed Karpinski | Jr
QB | `` | Jacque LaPrarie | Fr
QB | `7` | Ralph Leek | Jr
C | `59` | Frank Naylor | Sr
Defense | Pos. | # | Name | Class

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CB | `4` | Carl Howard | Jr
DT | `62` | Bill Pickel | Jr
Special teams | Pos. | # | Name | Class

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Head coach

* Frank R. Burns

Coordinators/assistant coaches

* Greg Gigantino
(Defensive line coach)

* * *

Legend

* (C) Team captain
* (S) Suspended
* (I) Ineligible

* Injured
* Redshirt

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "1981 Rutgers Scarlet Knights Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
2. ^ "Rutgers Yearly Results (1980-1984)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on March 27, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
3. ^ "1981 Rutgers Scarlet Knights Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
4. ^ "Rutgers edges Orange, 29–17". The Buffalo News. September 6, 1981. Retrieved October 31, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
5. ^ "Rutgers Needs 2 FGs, 1 Bomb to Edge Colgate". The Sunday Press. Binghamton, N.Y. September 13, 1981. p. 5B - via Newspapers.com.
6. ^ "Kickers give undefeated Rutgers needed lift". The Sunday Record. September 19, 1981. Retrieved January 28, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ "Rutgers jolted, 10–0". The Star-Ledger. September 27, 1981. Retrieved October 31, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
8. ^ Newman, Chuck (October 4, 1981). "Defense Gets Rutgers Attack Rolling for Win". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. pp. 9-F, 10-F - via Newspapers.com.
9. ^ "Rutgers wins one it needed". The Record. October 11, 1981. Retrieved October 31, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
10. ^ "Murphy-passes Owls over Rutgers, 24–12". The Daily Register. October 18, 1981. Retrieved October 31, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
11. ^ "Bama varies attack, and buries Rutgers". The Anniston Star. October 25, 1981. Retrieved February 19, 2021 - via Newspapers.com.
12. ^ "Pittsburgh proves too much for Rutgers". Asbury Park Press. November 8, 1981. Retrieved October 31, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
13. ^ "West Virginia rips sputtering Scarlet". The Home News. November 15, 1981. Retrieved January 28, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
14. ^ "Boston Coll. 27, Rutgers 21". The Hartford Courant. November 22, 1981. p. C13 - via Newspapers.com.

* v
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Rutgers Scarlet Knights football

Venues|

* College Field (1869–1890)
* Neilson Field (1891–1938)
* Old Rutgers Stadium (1938–1992)
* Giants Stadium (alternate, 1976–1992, 1994-96; primary, 1993)
* SHI Stadium (1994–present)

Bowls & rivalries|

* Bowl games
* Princeton

Culture & lore|

* Marching band
* First American football game (painting)

People|

* Head coaches
* NFL draftees
* Statistical leaders

Seasons|

* 1869
* 1870
* 1871
* 1872
* 1873
* 1874
* 1875
* 1876
* 1877
* 1878
* 1879
* 1880
* 1881
* 1882
* 1883
* 1884
* 1885
* 1886
* 1887
* 1888
* 1889
* 1890
* 1891
* 1892
* 1893
* 1894
* 1895
* 1896
* 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
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* 2001
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* 2014
* 2015
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* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

National championship seasons in bold

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*[v]: View this template
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*[Conf.]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[T]: Ties
*[No.]: Number