1981 Colorado Buffaloes football team

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1981 Colorado Buffaloes football
ConferenceBig Eight Conference
Record3–8 (2–5 Big 8)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorGene Hochevar (2nd season)
Offensive schemeMultiple
Defensive coordinatorDoug Knotts (3rd season)
Base defense3–4
MVPPete Perry
CaptainPete Perry, Bob Sebro
Home stadiumFolsom Field
Seasons
← 1980
1982 →
1981 Big Eight Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 11 Nebraska $ 7 – 0 – 0 9 – 3 – 0
No. 20 Oklahoma 4 – 2 – 1 7 – 4 – 1
Kansas 4 – 3 – 0 7 – 5 – 0
Oklahoma State 4 – 3 – 0 7 – 5 – 0
No. 19 Missouri 3 – 4 – 0 8 – 4 – 0
Iowa State 2 – 4 – 1 5 – 5 – 1
Colorado 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 8 – 0
Kansas State 1 – 6 – 0 2 – 9 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1981 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado at Boulder in the Big Eight Conference during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. It was the third and final season for Chuck Fairbanks' as head coach, and the first year of blue jerseys for the Buffaloes, which were phased out in 1984.[1][2][3]

The Buffaloes finished at 3–8 (2–5 in Big 8, seventh) for a third consecutive losing season. Home games were played on campus at Folsom Field in Boulder. After a shutout loss at Kansas,[4] CU defeated last-place Kansas State by three points at home in the season finale to avoid the conference cellar.

Fairbanks resigned in early June 1982 to become head coach, president, and minority owner of the New Jersey Generals of the new United States Football League (USFL).[2][5] His overall record at CU was a disappointing 7–26 (.212), 5–16 (.238) in conference. Bill McCartney, the defensive coordinator at Michigan under Bo Schembechler, was announced as Colorado's new head coach on June 9,[6][7][8] and led the program for thirteen seasons, through 1994.

Schedule[edit]

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendance
September 12Texas Tech*
W 45–2734,884
September 19Washington State*
  • Folsom Field
  • Boulder, CO
L 10–1435,277
September 26No. 11 BYU*
  • Folsom Field
  • Boulder, CO
L 20–4143,259
October 3at No. 16 UCLA*
L 7–2740,347
October 10at Nebraska
L 0–5976,168
October 17Oklahoma Statedagger
  • Folsom Field
  • Boulder, CO
W 11–1036,101
October 24at No. 14 Iowa State
L 10–1750,103
October 31at No. 19 Oklahoma
L 0–4975,638
November 7Missouri
  • Folsom Field
  • Boulder, CO
L 14–3035,782
November 14at Kansas
L 0–2731,500
November 21Kansas State
W 24–2123,921
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[9][10][11]

Roster[edit]

1981 Colorado Buffaloes football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
QB 16 Randy Essington So
C 51 Rich Umphrey Sr
G 63 Vince Rafferty So
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
SS 31 Jeff Donaldson So
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Roster

[12]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "CU Logo Evolution Fact Sheet". CUBuffs.com. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Thorburn, Ryan (April 2, 2013). "Football: Former CU Buffs coach Chuck Fairbanks dies at 79". Boulder Daily Camera. Buffzone.com. Retrieved April 3, 2013.
  3. ^ McCallum, Jack (October 11, 1982). "UCLA now stands for Uncork Lots Of Aerials". Sports Illustrated. p. 32.
  4. ^ Woodling, Chuck (June 2, 1982). "Jayhawks' defense corrals Buffs, 27-0". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). p. 17.
  5. ^ "Fairbanks quits Colorado to coach in USFL". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. June 2, 1982. p. 17.
  6. ^ "Colorado talks with McCartney". Ludington Daily News. (Michigan). Associated Press. June 9, 1982. p. 9.
  7. ^ "McCartney gets Colorado post". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). Associated Press. June 10, 1982. p. 38.
  8. ^ "CU tabs McCartney new football coach". Lawrence Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. June 10, 1982. p. 15.
  9. ^ "1981 Colorado Buffaloes Schedule and Results". College Football @ Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  10. ^ "1981 Football Schedule". University of Colorado Boulder. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  11. ^ "Colorado Football 2023 Record Book" (PDF). University of Colorado Boulder. p. 50. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  12. ^ "Probable starters". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). September 19, 1981. p. 15.


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