1981 Western Michigan Broncos football team
American college football season
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The 1981 Western Michigan Broncos football team represented Western Michigan University in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their seventh and final season under head coach Elliot Uzelac, the Broncos compiled a 6–5 record (5–4 against MAC opponents), finished in a tie for fifth place in the MAC, and outscored their opponents, 206 to 170.[1][2][3] The team played its home games at Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan.[4]
- Elliot Uzelac (7th season)
| 1981 Western Michigan Broncos football | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Mid-American Conference |
| Record | 6–5 (5–4 MAC) |
| Head coach |
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| MVP | Bob Phillips |
| Captains |
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| Home stadium | Waldo Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The team's statistical leaders included Tom George with 1,419 passing yards, Shawn Faulkner with 701 rushing yards, and Bob Phillips with 809 receiving yards.[5] Reggie Hinton and linebacker John Schuster were the team captains.[6] Split end Bob Phillips received the team's most outstanding player award.[7]
On November 24, 1981, coach Uzelac was fired as the Broncos' head football coach. Athletic director Tom Wonderling said at the time: "The program has progressed tremendously under Elliot, but I think at the present time we need a change."[8] Wonderling was also critical of Uzelac's conservative offense, saying: "We're not like the Big Ten; we have to have something more."[8] In seven years at Western, Uzelac compiled a 38–39 record.[8]
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 12 | at Kent State | W 20–17 | [9] | ||||
| September 19 | Marshall* | W 14–3 | [10] | ||||
| September 26 | at Wisconsin* | L 10–21 | 67,195 | [11] | |||
| October 3 | at Bowling Green | W 21–7 | 20,325 | [12] | |||
| October 10 | Central Michigan |
| L 13–15 | [13] | |||
| October 17 | at Miami (OH) | L 19–20 | [14] | ||||
| October 24 | Ball State |
| W 14–3 | 14,027 | [15] | ||
| October 31 | at Northern Illinois | W 23–12 | [16] | ||||
| November 7 | Toledo |
| L 14–28 | 17,784 | [17] | ||
| November 14 | at Ohio | L 20–37 | [18] | ||||
| November 21 | Eastern Michigan |
| W 38–7 | [19] | |||
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