1981 Purdue Boilermakers football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record5–6 (3–6 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorDoug Redmann (2nd season)
Defensive coordinatorLeon Burtnett (5th season)
MVPSteve Bryant
CaptainSteve Bryant, Ray Gunner, Bobby Williams
Home stadiumRoss–Ade Stadium
1981 Big Ten Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 15 Ohio State + 6 –2 –09 –3 –0
No. 18 Iowa + 6 –2 –08 –4 –0
No. 12 Michigan 6 –3 –09 –3 –0
Illinois 6 –3 –07 –4 –0
Wisconsin 6 –3 –07 –5 –0
Minnesota 4 –5 –06 –5 –0
Michigan State 4 –5 –05 –6 –0
Purdue 3 –6 –05 –6 –0
Indiana 3 –6 –03 –8 –0
Northwestern 0 –9 –00 –11 –0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1981 Purdue Boilermakers football team represented Purdue University during the 1981 Big Ten Conference football season. Led by Jim Young in his fifth and final season as head coach, the Boilermakers compiled an overall record of 5–6 with a mark of 3–6 in conference play, tying for eighth place in the Big Ten. Purdue played home games at Ross–Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Several Purdue players ranked among the Big Ten leaders, including the following:

  • Wide receiver Steve Bryant led the Big Ten with 60 receptions and 11 receiving touchdowns and ranked second with 971 receiving yards and fifth with 66 points scored.[1]
  • Quarterback Scott Campbell ranked second in the conference with 185 pass completions, a 57.6% pass completion percentage, 2,686 passing yards, a 138.3 passing efficiency rating, and 2,809 total yards.[1]
  • Running back Jimmy Smith ranked fourth in the conference with 152 rushing attempts and ninth with 540 rushing yards.[1]

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 12No. 19 Stanford*
W 27–1969,958
September 19at Minnesota
L 13–1641,530
September 26No. 13 Notre Dame*
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN (rivalry)
W 15–1470,007
October 3at Wisconsin
L 14–2068,603
October 10Illinoisdagger
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN (rivalry)
W 44–2069,846
October 17at Northwestern
W 35–020,777
October 24Michigan State
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN
W 27–2669,877
October 3112:30 p.m.Ohio State
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN
L 33–4569,927
November 7at Iowa
L 7–3360,114
November 14No. 11 Michigan
  • Ross–Ade Stadium
  • West Lafayette, IN
L 10–2869,736[2][3]
November 21at Indiana
L 17–2048,466
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[4]

Personnel

1981 Purdue Boilermakers football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
QB Scott Campbell
QB Jim Everett
FB Bruce King
RB Jimmy Smith
 Defense
Pos.#NameClass
 Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
K Rick Anderson
K Tim Clark
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • (S) Suspended
    • (I) Ineligible
    • Injured Injured
    • Redshirt Redshirt

    Game summaries

    Notre Dame

    1 234Total
    Notre Dame 0 707 14
    • Purdue 0 078 15
    • Date: September 26
    • Location: Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, Indiana
    • Game attendance: 70,007
    Scoring summary
    2NDSmith 1 yard run (Oliver kick)Notre Dame 7-0
    3PURJones 1 yard run (Anderson kick)Tie 7-7
    42:57NDCarter 30 yard run (Oliver kick)Notre Dame 14-7
    4:19PURBryant 7 yard pass from Campbell (Bryant pass from Campbell)Purdue 15-14

    [5]

    Ohio State

    Ohio State Buckeyes (5–2) at Purdue Boilermakers (5–2)
    Period 1 2 34Total
    Ohio St 0 17 72145
    Purdue 7 7 61333

    at Ross–Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Indiana

    • Date: October 31, 1981
    • Game time: 12:30 p.m.
    • Game weather: Partly sunny, 66 °F (19 °C)
    • Game attendance: 69,927
    • Referee: Jerry Hendrickson
    • TV: ABC
    • Box Score
    TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
    Ohio St PassingArt Schlichter19/33, 336 Yds, 3 TD, INT
    RushingTim Spencer22 Rush, 95 Yds, TD
    ReceivingGary Williams7 Rec, 126 Yds
    Purdue PassingScott Campbell31/52, 516 Yds, 3 TD, 2 INT
    RushingJimmy Smith11 Rush, 33 Yds
    ReceivingSteve Bryant10 Rec, 195 Yds, 2 TD

    Indiana

    Statistics

    • Jeff Feulner 18 rushes, 108 yards

    References

    1. 1 2 3 "1981 Big Ten Conference Year Summary". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
    2. ↑ Joe Lapointe (November 15, 1981). "U-M foils Boilermakers: Win sets up Rose War with OSU". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1E, 7E – via Newspapers.com.
    3. ↑ Greg DeGulis (November 15, 1981). "Michigan stalls Boilermakers, 28-10". The Michigan Daily. pp. 1, 10 – via Bentley Historical Library.
    4. ↑ "2022 Purdue Football Record Book" (PDF). Purdue University Athletics. p. 90. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
    5. ↑ Palm Beach Post. 1981 Sept 27.
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