1981 Chico State Wildcats football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1981
| team = Chico State Wildcats
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Far Western Conference
| short_conf = FWC
| record = 5–5
| conf_record = 3–2
| head_coach = Dick Trimmer
| hc_year = 8th
| off_coach =
| oc_year =
| off_scheme =
| def_coach = Mike Clemons
| dc_year = 3rd
| def_scheme =
| captain =
| stadium = University Stadium
}}
{{1981 Far Western Conference football standings}}
The 1981 Chico State Wildcats football team represented California State University, Chico as a member of the Far Western Conference (FWC) during the 1981 NCAA Division II football season. Led by eighth-year head coach Dick Trimmer, Chico State compiled an overall record of 5–5 with a mark of 3–2 in conference play, tying for third place in the FWC. The team was outscored by its opponents 200 to 181 for the season. The Wildcats played home games at University Stadium in Chico, California.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1981
| rankdivision = NCAA Division II
| poll = Associated Press
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 5
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1981|team=Puget Sound Loggers|title=Puget Sound}}
| site_stadium = Baker Stadium
| site_cityst = Tacoma, WA
| score = 12–20
| attend = 4,710
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 12
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1981|team=Saint Mary's Gaels|title=Saint Mary's}}
| site_stadium = Saint Mary's Stadium
| site_cityst = Moraga, CA
| score = 16–21
| attend = 3,600
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 26
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1981|team=Santa Clara Broncos|title=Santa Clara}}
| site_stadium = University Stadium
| site_cityst = Chico, CA
| score = 10–7
| attend = 5,382
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 3
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1981|team=Simon Fraser Clan|title=Simon Fraser}}
| site_stadium = University Stadium
| site_cityst = Chico, CA
| score = 31–21
| attend = 5,417
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 10
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = Cal State Northridge
| opprank = 9
| site_stadium = North Campus Stadium
| site_cityst = Northridge, CA
| score = 16–38
| attend = 584
| source = {{cite news|title=College Football Summaries: Southland|newspaper=The Los Angeles Times|location=Los Angeles, California|date=October 11, 1981|page=III-18|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/9963309/southland_19811011/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 1, 2017}}{{Open access}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 17
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = Cal State Hayward
| site_stadium = Pioneer Stadium
| site_cityst = Hayward, CA
| score = 10–17
| attend = 1,717
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 24
| w/l = w
| opponent = Sacramento State
| site_stadium = University Stadium
| site_cityst = Chico, CA
| score = 34–24
| attend = 5,310–5,562
| source = {{cite web |author= |title=Final 1981 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Sacramento State) |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/102/stats/13169 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=April 26, 2022 }}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 31
| w/l = w
| opponent = Humboldt State
| site_stadium = University Stadium
| site_cityst = Chico, CA
| score = 26–7
| attend = 2,322–2,372
| source = {{cite web |author= |title=Final 1981 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Humboldt State) |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/291/stats/13169 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=September 20, 2024 }}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 7
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = UC Davis
| site_stadium = Toomey Field
| site_cityst = Davis, CA
| score = 9–38
| attend = 6,412–6,500
| source = {{cite web |author= |title=Final 1981 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (UC Davis) |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/108/stats/13169 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=May 12, 2022 }}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 14
| w/l = w
| opponent = San Francisco State
| site_stadium = University Stadium
| site_cityst = Chico, CA
| score = 17–7
| attend = 1,578–2,488
| source = {{cite web |author= |title=Final 1981 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (San Francisco State) |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/628/stats/13169 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=May 10, 2022 }}
}}
}}
{{cite web |author= |title=Final 1981 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Chico State) |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/95/stats/13169 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=May 22, 2022 }}