1981 Stanford Cardinals football team

The 1981 Stanford Cardinals football team represented Stanford University in the Pacific-10 Conference during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by second-year head coach Paul Wiggin, the Cardinal had an overall record of 4–7 (4–4 in Pac-10, tied for sixth), and played home games on campus at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California. Ranked in the preseason top twenty, Stanford opened with four losses and dropped six of its first seven games to incur their first losing season since 1963.

1981 Stanford Cardinals football
Conference	Pacific-10 Conference
Record	4–7 (4–4 Pac-10)
Head coach	Paul Wiggin (2nd season)
Offensive coordinator	Jim Fassel (1st season)
Offensive scheme	West Coast
Defensive coordinator	Jack Harbaugh (2nd season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Stanford Stadium

1981 Pacific-10 Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 10 Washington $	6	–	2	–	0			10	–	2	–	0
No. 16 Arizona State	5	–	2	–	0			9	–	2	–	0
No. 14 USC	5	–	2	–	0			9	–	3	–	0
Washington State	5	–	2	–	1			8	–	3	–	1
UCLA	5	–	2	–	1			7	–	4	–	1
Arizona	4	–	4	–	0			6	–	5	–	0
Stanford	4	–	4	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
California	2	–	6	–	0			2	–	9	–	0
Oregon	1	–	6	–	0			2	–	9	–	0
Oregon State	0	–	7	–	0			1	–	10	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

From 1972 until November 17, 1981, Stanford's official nickname was Cardinals, in reference to one of the school colors, not the bird. After 1981, it became the singular Cardinal.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance	Source
September 12	12:20 p.m.	at Purdue*	No. 19	Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN	ABC	L 19–27	62,778
September 19	1:00 p.m.	San Jose State*		Stanford Stadium Stanford, CA (rivalry)	USA	L 6–28	67,888
September 26	1:00 p.m.	No. 8 Ohio State*		Stanford Stadium Stanford, CA	ESPN	L 19–24	76,102
October 3	7:00 p.m.	at Arizona		Arizona Stadium Tucson, AZ	USA	L 13–17	41,110
October 10	1:00 p.m.	No. 17 UCLA		Stanford Stadium Stanford, CA	USA	W 26–23	70,103
October 17	1:00 p.m.	at No. 7 USC		Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA (rivalry)		L 17–25	76,291
October 24	1:00 p.m.	No. 17 Arizona State		Stanford Stadium Stanford, CA		L 36–62	52,855
October 31	1:30 p.m.	at No. 18 Washington		Husky Stadium Seattle, WA		L 31–42	55,856
November 7	1:00 p.m.	at Oregon State		Parker Stadium Corvallis, OR		W 63–9	22,000
November 14	1:00 p.m.	Oregon		Stanford Stadium Stanford, CA	USA	W 42–3	36,106
November 21	1:00 p.m.	California		Stanford Stadium Stanford, CA (Big Game)	USA	W 42–21	84,536
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Pacific time

Roster

1981 Stanford Cardinal football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class TE 83 Chris Dressel Jr QB 7 John Elway Jr HB 31 Darrin Nelson Sr	Defense Pos. # Name Class	Special teams Pos. # Name Class	Head coach Paul Wiggin Coordinators/assistant coaches Jim Fassel – Offensive Coordinator Jim Anderson – Running back Dick James – Offensive line Dave Ottmar – Tight end Jack Harbaugh – Defensive Coordinator Larry Mac Duff – Defensive line Ray Handley – Outside linebacker Chuck Detwiler – Defensive back Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt