Wikipedia

1981 Memphis State Tigers football team

The 1981 Memphis State Tigers football team represented Memphis State University (now known as the University of Memphis) as an independent during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. In its first season under head coach Rex Dockery, the team compiled a 1–10 record and was outscored by a total of 209 to 82.[1][2] The team played its home games at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee.

1981 Memphis State Tigers football
ConferenceIndependent
Record1–10
Head coach
Home stadiumLiberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1980
1982 →
1981 NCAA Division I-A independents football records
Conf Overall
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 team's statistical leaders included Tom Smith with 466 passing yards, Tony Wiley with 497 rushing yards, Jerry Knowlton with 244 receiving yards, and Greg Hauss with 23 points scored.[3]

Schedule

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DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 5at No. 14 Mississippi State
L 3–2042,507[4]
September 12at No. 18 Florida State
L 5–1051,454[5]
September 19Ole Miss
L 3–753,170[6]
September 26at Georgia Tech
W 28–1532,463[7]
October 3at Virginia Tech
L 13–1740,100[8]
October 10Louisville
  • Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
  • Memphis, TN (rivalry)
L 7–1424,286[9]
October 17Southern Miss 
L 0–1014,252[10]
October 24Tennessee
  • Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
  • Memphis, TN
L 9–2851,668[11]
October 31at Vanderbilt
L 0–2633,285[12]
November 7at Cincinnati
L 7–3810,233[13]
November 14Tulane
  • Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
  • Memphis, TN
L 7–2414,827[14]
  •  Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References

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  1. ^ "1981 Memphis Tigers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  2. ^ "Memphis Football 2019 Media Guide" (PDF). University of Memphis. p. 270. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 17, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  3. ^ "1981 Memphis Tigers Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  4. ^ "State wins 20–3, but champagne didn't flow". The Clarion-Ledger. September 6, 1981. Retrieved October 31, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Whiting, Seminoles edge Memphis St". The Bradenton Herald. September 13, 1981. Retrieved October 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Ole Miss tops Memphis 7–3 for third win". The Clarion-Ledger. September 20, 1981. Retrieved November 1, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Memphis St. QB terrorizes Tech". Greensboro News and Record. September 27, 1981. Retrieved July 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Memphis State's bid for upset is thwarted by Virginia Tech rally". The Courier-Journal. October 4, 1981. Retrieved December 16, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Minnifield's long return lifts U of L to win". The Courier-Journal. October 11, 1981. Retrieved October 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Southern Miss hands Tigers their 6th defeat". The Jackson Sun. October 18, 1981. Retrieved October 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "'Big Orange Hex' more powerful than 'Memphis Jinx'". The Leaf-Chronicle. October 25, 1981. Retrieved August 18, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Vandy blanks Memphis State". The Courier-Journal. November 1, 1981. Retrieved November 1, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Tigers record falls to 1–9 with loss". The Commercial Appeal. November 8, 1981. Retrieved October 31, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Tulane blasts Memphis State". The Jackson Sun. November 15, 1981. Retrieved October 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
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