1981 San Jose State Spartans football team
| 1981 San Jose State Spartans football | |
|---|---|
 | |
PCAA champion | |
California Bowl, L 25–27 vs. Toledo | |
| Conference | Pacific Coast Athletic Association |
| Record | 9–3 (5–0 PCAA) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Dennis Erickson (3rd season) |
| Home stadium | Spartan Stadium (Capacity: 18,155) |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| San Jose State $ | 5 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Utah State | 4 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fresno State | 2 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pacific (CA) | 2 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cal State Fullerton | 1 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Long Beach State | 1 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1981 San Jose State Spartans football team represented San Jose State University during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season as a member of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association.[note 1] The team was led by head coach Jack Elway, in his third year at San Jose State. They played home games at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, California.
The Spartans finished the 1981 season as champions of the PCAA, with a record of nine wins and three losses (9–3, 5–0 PCAA). As a result, the Spartans qualified for the initial California Bowl vs. the Mid-American Conference (MAC) champion Toledo Rockets. This was the second postseason appearance for the Spartans since they moved to Division I-A. The game was played at Bulldog Stadium in Fresno, California, with Toledo prevailing 25–27.
In December, offensive coordinator Dennis Erickson was hired as the head coach at Idaho in the Big Sky Conference, but still coached in the bowl game.[1]
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 5 | UNLV* | L 6–16 | 17,112[2] | ||
| September 12 | Santa Clara* |
| W 41–7 | ||
| September 19 | at Stanford* | W 28–6 | 67,888 | ||
| September 26 | at California* | ABC | W 27–24 | ||
| October 3 | at Fresno State[note 2] | ABC | W 65–33 | 25,617[3][4] | |
| October 17 | Cal State Fullerton |
| ESPN | W 45–23 | 21,238[5] |
| October 24 | at Utah State | W 27–24 | 16,071[6] | ||
| November 7 | at No. 10 Arizona State* | L 24–31 | |||
| November 14 | Pacific (CA) |
| W 40–25 | ||
| November 21 | at Long Beach State[note 3] | W 25–22 | 6,723[7] | ||
| November 28 | North Texas[note 4]* |
| W 28–16 | ||
| December 19 | Toledo* | ESPN | L 25–27 | 15,565 | |
| |||||
Team players in the NFL
The following were selected in the 1982 NFL Draft.[10]
| Player | Position | Round | Overall | NFL team |
| Gerald Willhite | Running back | 1 | 21 | Denver Broncos |
| Stacey Bailey | Wide receiver | 3 | 63 | Atlanta Falcons |
The following finished their college career in 1981, were not drafted, but played in the NFL.[11]
| Player | Position | First NFL team |
| Kenny Daniel | Defensive back | 1984 New York Giants |
| Tracy Franz | Guard | 1987 San Francisco 49ers |
Notes
- ^ The Big West Conference was known as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association from its founding in 1969 through 1987.
- ^ The official name of Fresno State has been California State University, Fresno since 1972. However, it is still commonly known as Fresno State.
- ^ The official name of Long Beach State has been California State University, Long Beach since 1972. However, it is still commonly known as Long Beach State.
- ^ University of North Texas was known as North Texas State University from 1961 to 1987.
References
- ^ Missildine, Harry (December 12, 1981). "Erickson's 'bowling' date comes before Vandals". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Spokane, Washington. p. 12.
- ^ "2016 UNLV Rebel Football Light the Fuse". Retrieved February 14, 2007.
- ^ "Fresno State 2016 Media Guide" (PDF). Retrieved December 8, 2016.
- ^ "Southland". The Los Angeles Times. October 4, 1981. p. III-18. Retrieved April 1, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Pete Donovan (October 18, 1981). "Spartans Run It Up, Titans Run Out of Gas". The Los Angeles Times (Orange County ed.). p. III-3. Retrieved February 10, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Utah State Football Guide 2016" (PDF). Retrieved February 14, 2007.
- ^ "San Jose St., 24-22". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Santa Cruz, California. November 22, 1981. p. 65. Retrieved February 10, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "San Jose State 1981 Schedule". Retrieved December 16, 2016.
- ^ "San Jose State 2016 Football Media Guide". Retrieved December 16, 2016.
- ^ "1982 NFL Draft". Retrieved December 7, 2016.
- ^ "San Jose St. Players/Alumni". Retrieved December 16, 2016.
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