1981 Wisconsin Badgers football team
American college football season
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The 1981 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the 1981 Big Ten Conference football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Dave McClain, the Badgers compiled an overall record of 7–5 with a mark of 6–3 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for third in the Big Ten. Wisconsin was invited to the Garden State Bowl, where the Badgers lost to Tennessee. The team played home games at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record7–5 (6–3 Big Ten)
Headcoach
- Dave McClain (4th season)
OffensivecoordinatorBill Dudley (2nd season)
| 1981 Wisconsin Badgers football | |
|---|---|
Garden State Bowl, L 21–28 vs. Tennessee | |
| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| Record | 7–5 (6–3 Big Ten) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Bill Dudley (2nd season) |
| Offensive scheme | Triple option |
| Defensive coordinator | Jim Hilles (4th season) |
| Base defense | 3–4 |
| MVP | Dave Levenick |
| Captains |
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| Home stadium | Camp Randall Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 15 Ohio State + | 6 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 18 Iowa + | 6 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 12 Michigan | 6 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 6 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 6 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 4 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan State | 4 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 3 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 3 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 0 | – | 9 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 11 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Several Wisconsin players ranked among the Big Ten leaders, including the following:
- Quarterback Jess Cole ranked seventh in the conference with 12 passing touchdowns and ninth with 1,180 passing yards.[1]
- Running back John Williams ranked second in the conference with 5.5 rushing yards per carry and seventh with 634 rushing yards.
- David Greenwood led the conference with 156 interception return yards, and he and Matt Vanden Boom tied for second in the conference with six interceptions each.[1]
Wisconsin made its first bowl game appearance since the 1963 Rose Bowl.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 12 | No. 1 Michigan | W 21–14 | 68,733 | [2] | ||
| September 19 | No. 9 UCLA* | No. 20 |
| L 13–31 | 71,496 | [3] |
| September 26 | Western Michigan* |
| W 21–10 | 67,196 | [4] | |
| October 3 | Purdue |
| W 20–14 | 68,603 | [5] | |
| October 10 | No. 18 Ohio State |
| W 24–21 | 78,973 | [6] | |
| October 17 | at Michigan State | No. 14 | L 14–33 | 67,352 | [7] | |
| October 24 | at Illinois | L 21–23 | 67,413 | [8] | ||
| October 31 | Northwestern |
| W 52–0 | 70,035 | [9] | |
| November 7 | at Indiana | W 28–7 | 44,218 | [10] | ||
| November 14 | Iowa |
| L 7–17 | 78,731 | [11] | |
| November 21 | at Minnesota | W 26–21 | 47,125 | [12] | ||
| December 13 | vs. Tennessee* | L 21–28 | 53,220 | [13] | ||
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Game summaries
Michigan
#1 Michigan at Wisconsin
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| • Wisconsin | 0 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
- Date: Saturday, September 12
- Location: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin
- Game attendance: 68,733
- Source: Gainesville Sun
| 2 | Michigan | S. Smith 4 yard run (Haji-Sheikh kick) | Michigan 7-0 | |
| 2 | Wisconsin | Neal 17 yard pass from Cole (Doran kick) | Tie 7-7 | |
| 2 | Wisconsin | Davis 1 yard run (Doran kick) | Wisconsin 14-7 | |
| 3 | Michigan | Woolfolk 89 yard run (Haji-Sheikh kick) | Tie 14-14 | |
| 3 | 5:13 | Wisconsin | Williams 71 yard pass from Cole (Doran kick) | Wisconsin 21-14 |
Wisconsin safety Matt Vanden Boom had three interceptions, including the game-clincher with two seconds left at his own 17. It was the Badgers first win against Michigan since 1962 and the first time they scored points against the Wolverines since 1976.
At Minnesota
Wisconsin Badgers (6–4) at Minnesota Golden Gophers (6–4)
at Memorial Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Date: November 21, 1981
- Game attendance: 47,125
- [15]
Head coach Dave McClain inserted backup Randy Wright in the fourth quarter after Minnesota took the lead for the first time, on the reason "because Cole was not having a good day throwing." Following the victory, Wisconsin accepted the bid from the Garden State Bowl to play Tennessee.[16]
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | Passing | Jess Cole | 6/17, 84 Yds |
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Minnesota | Passing | Mike Hohensee | 17/34, 254 Yds, TD |
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | Chester Cooper | 6 Rec, 123 Yds, TD |
| Scoring summary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Personnel
| 1981 Wisconsin Badgers football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
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Defense
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Special teams
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1982 NFL draft
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Von Mansfield | Cornerback | 5 | 122 | Atlanta Falcons |
| Jerry Doerger | Tackle | 8 | 200 | Chicago Bears |
| Guy Boliaux | Linebacker | 11 | 283 | Chicago Bears |
| Dave Levenick | Linebacker | 12 | 315 | Atlanta Falcons |