1981 Toledo Rockets football team

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1981 Toledo Rockets football
MAC champion
ConferenceMid-American Conference
Record9–3 (8–1 MAC)
Head coach
Home stadiumGlass Bowl
Seasons
← 1980
1982 →
1981 Mid-American Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Toledo $ 8 1 0 9 3 0
Miami (OH) 6 1 1 8 2 1
Central Michigan 7 2 0 7 4 0
Bowling Green 5 3 1 5 5 1
Western Michigan 5 4 0 6 5 0
Ohio 5 4 0 5 6 0
Kent State 3 6 0 4 7 0
Ball State 2 6 0 4 7 0
Northern Illinois 2 7 0 3 8 0
Eastern Michigan 0 9 0 0 11 0
  • $ – Conference champion

The 1981 Toledo Rockets football team was an American football team that represented the University of Toledo in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their fifth and final season under head coach Chuck Stobart, the Rockets compiled a 9–3 record (8–1 against MAC opponents), won the MAC championship, outscored all opponents by a combined total of 270 to 170, won the Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship, and defeated San Jose State, 27–25, in the 1981 California Bowl.[1]

The team's statistical leaders included Jim Kelso with 975 passing yards, Arnold Smiley with 1,013 rushing yards, and Rodney Achter with 361 receiving yards.[2]

Schedule[edit]

DateOpponentSiteResult
September 12at Louisville*L 6–31
September 19Ball StateW 40–0
September 26at East Carolina*W 40–0
October 3Ohio
  • Glass Bowl
  • Glass Bowl
W 21–14
October 10at Eastern MichiganW 42–7
October 17Central Michigan
  • Glass Bowl
  • Toledo, OH
W 17–3
October 24at Bowling GreenL 0–38
October 31Miami (OH)
  • Glass Bowl
  • Toledo, OH
W 17–20
November 7at Western MichiganW 28–14
November 14Kent State
  • Glass Bowl
  • Toledo, OH
W 17–0
November 21at Northern IllinoisW 31–0
December 19vs. San Jose State*W 27–25
  • *Non-conference game

After the season[edit]

NFL Draft[edit]

The following Rocket was selected in the 1982 NFL Draft following the season.[3]

Round Pick Player Position NFL club
7 177 Jeff Jackson Defensive end Los Angeles Raiders

References[edit]

  1. ^ "1981 Toledo Rockets Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
  2. ^ "1981 Toledo Rockets Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
  3. ^ "1982 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 30, 2023.