1981 UMass Minutemen football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1981
| team = UMass Minutemen
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Yankee Conference
| short_conf = Yankee
| record = 6–3
| conf_record = 4–1
| head_coach = Bob Pickett
| hc_year = 4th
| off_coach =
| oc_year =
| off_scheme =
| def_coach = Jim Reid
| dc_year = 4th
| def_scheme =
| captain =
| stadium = Alumni Stadium
| champion = Yankee Conference co-champion
}}
{{1981 Yankee Conference football standings}}
The 1981 UMass Minutemen football team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season as a member of the Yankee Conference. The team was coached by Bob Pickett and played its home games at Alumni Stadium in Hadley, Massachusetts. The 1981 season saw the Minutemen win their thirteenth Yankee Conference title. UMass finished the season with a record of 6–3 overall and 4–1 in conference play.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1981
| rankdivision = NCAA Division I-AA
| poll = NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee
| timezone = Eastern
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 19
| time =
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| opponent = Holy Cross
| site_stadium = Alumni Stadium
| site_cityst = Hadley, MA
| score = 13–10
| attend = 9,960
| source = {{cite news |title=UMass' Late Rally Crosses Up HC |first=Bob |last=Monahan |date=September 20, 1981 |page=56 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54309813/1981-holy-cross-umass/}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 26
| time =
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| opponent = Dartmouth
| site_stadium = Alumni Stadium
| site_cityst = Hadley, MA
| score = 10–8
| attend = 11,855
| source = {{cite news |title=UMass Dumps Dartmouth Again |first=Harry |last=Eisenberg |date=September 27, 1981 |page=78 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54310057/1981-dartmouth-umass/}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 3
| time =
| w/l = l
| rank = 6
| opponent = Rhode Island
| site_stadium = Alumni Stadium
| site_cityst = Hadley, MA
| score = 10–16
| attend =
| source = {{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-union-rhode-island-knocks-um/158158675/|newspaper=The Sunday Republican|title=Rhode Island knocks UMass, 16–10|date=October 4, 1981|accessdate=October 30, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 10
| time =
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = Delaware
| opprank = T–7
| site_stadium = Delaware Stadium
| site_cityst = Newark, DE
| score = 15–38
| attend = 19,581
| source = {{cite news |title=UMass Thumped |first=Bob |last=Monahan |date=October 11, 1981 |page=71 |newspaper=Boston Sunday Globe |location=Boston, Mass.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54310605/1981-delaware-umass/ }}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 17
| time =
| w/l = w
| opponent = Maine
| site_stadium = Alumni Stadium
| site_cityst = Hadley, MA
| score = 20–7
| attend =
| source = {{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-hampshire-gazette-um-hopes-for-tit/158159460/|newspaper=Daily Hampshire Gazette|title=UM hopes for title still alive|date=October 19, 1981|accessdate=October 30, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 24
| time =
| w/l = w
| opponent = Boston University
| site_stadium = Alumni Stadium
| site_cityst = Hadley, MA
| score = 34–20
| attend =
| source = {{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/transcript-telegram-mcgrath-throws-y-c-i/158159607/|newspaper=Transcript-Telegram|title=McGrath throws Y-C into turmoil|date=October 26, 1981|accessdate=October 30, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 31
| time =
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = Connecticut
| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium
| site_cityst = Storrs, CT
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 29–24
| attend = 15,980
| source = {{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-day-umass-unmasks-uconn-early-2924/158159733/|newspaper=The Day|title=UMass unmasks UConn early, 29–24|date=November 1, 1981|accessdate=October 30, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 7
| time =
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = Boston College
| site_stadium = Alumni Stadium
| site_cityst = Chestnut Hill, MA
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 22–52
| attend = 20,400
| source = {{cite news|title=At Chestnut Hill, Mass.|newspaper=The Courier-Journal|date=November 8, 1981|page=C2|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17505460/at_chestnut_hill_mass/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 14
| time =
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = New Hampshire
| opprank = 4
| site_stadium = Cowell Stadium
| site_cityst = Durham, NH
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 20–9
| attend =
| source = {{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/north-adams-transcript-uri-umass-share/158159837/|newspaper=North Adams Transcript|title=URI, UMass share crown|date=November 16, 1981|accessdate=October 30, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{UMass Minutemen football navbox}}
{{Yankee Conference football champions}}
Category:UMass Minutemen football seasons
Category:Yankee Conference football champion seasons
{{collegefootball-1981-season-stub}}