1981 San Jose State Spartans football team
American college football season
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The 1981 San Jose State Spartans football team represented San Jose State University during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season as a member of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association.[note 1] Led by third-year head coach Jack Elway, they played home games at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, California.
- Jack Elway (3rd season)
| 1981 San Jose State Spartans football | |
|---|---|
 | |
PCAA champion | |
California Bowl, L 25–27 vs. Toledo | |
| Conference | Pacific Coast Athletic Association |
| Record | 9–3 (5–0 PCAA) |
| Head coach |
|
| Offensive coordinator | Dennis Erickson (3rd season) |
| Offensive scheme | Spread |
| Home stadium | Spartan Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| San Jose State $ | 5 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Utah State | 4 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fresno State | 2 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pacific (CA) | 2 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cal State Fullerton | 1 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Long Beach State | 1 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Spartans were champions of the PCAA, with a record of nine wins and three losses (9–3, 5–0 PCAA), and qualified for the initial California Bowl against the Mid-American Conference (MAC) champion Toledo Rockets.[1] This was the second bowl appearance for the Spartans since moving up to Division I-A; they were in the Pasadena Bowl a decade earlier. The California Bowl was played at Bulldog Stadium in Fresno, and Toledo won 27–25 with a late field goal.[2][3][4]
In early December, offensive coordinator Dennis Erickson was hired as the head coach at Idaho in the Big Sky Conference, but coached the Spartans in the bowl game.[5]
The Spartan offense was led by quarterback Steve Clarkson, running back Gerald Willhite, and wide receiver Tim Kearse.[1]
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 5 | UNLV* | L 6–16 | 17,112 | [6] | ||
| September 12 | Santa Clara* |
| W 41–7 | 17,238 | [7] | |
| September 19 | at Stanford* | USA | W 28–6 | 67,888 | [8] | |
| September 26 | at California* | ABC | W 27–24 | 34,000 | [9] | |
| October 3 | at Fresno State | ABC | W 65–33 | 25,617 | [10][11] | |
| October 17 | Cal State Fullerton |
| ESPN | W 45–23 | 21,238 | [12] |
| October 24 | at Utah State | W 27–24 | 16,071 | [13] | ||
| November 7 | at No. 10 Arizona State* | L 24–31 | 65,728 | [14] | ||
| November 14 | Pacific (CA) |
| W 40–25 | 15,060 | [15] | |
| November 21 | at Long Beach State | W 25–22 | 6,723 | [16] | ||
| November 28 | North Texas State* |
| W 28–16 | 13,091 | [17] | |
| December 19 | Toledo* |
| Mizlou | L 25–27 | 15,565 | [18] |
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Team players in the NFL
The following were selected in the 1982 NFL draft.[21]
| Player | Position | Round | Overall | NFL team |
| Gerald Willhite | Running back | 1 | 21 | Denver Broncos |
| Stacey Bailey | Wide receiver | 3 | 63 | Atlanta Falcons |
The following finished their college career in 1981, were not drafted, but played in the NFL.[22]
| Player | Position | First NFL team |
| Kenny Daniel | Defensive back | 1984 New York Giants |
| Tracy Franz | Guard | 1987 San Francisco 49ers |
Notes
- The Big West Conference was known as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association from its founding in 1969 through 1987.
