1981 Duke Blue Devils football team

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1981 Duke Blue Devils football
ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference
Record6–5 (3–3 ACC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorSteve Spurrier (2nd season)
Defensive coordinatorDick Hopkins (1st season)
MVPCedric Jones
CaptainGreg Bamberger, Cedric Jones, Dennis Tabron, Dan Yellott
Home stadiumWallace Wade Stadium
Seasons
← 1980
1982 →
1981 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 1 Clemson $ 6 – 0 – 0 12 – 0 – 0
No. 9 North Carolina 5 – 1 – 0 10 – 2 – 0
Maryland 4 – 2 – 0 4 – 6 – 1
Duke 3 – 3 – 0 6 – 5 – 0
NC State 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 7 – 0
Wake Forest 1 – 5 – 0 4 – 7 – 0
Virginia 0 – 6 – 0 1 – 10 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1981 Duke Blue Devils football team was an American football team that represented Duke University as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their third year under head coach Shirley Wilson, the Blue Devils complied an overall record of 6–5, with a conference record of 3–3, and finished fourth in the ACC. Duke's offense became the first in ACC history to average over 300 yards a game passing.[1]

Schedule[edit]

DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 12at No. 11 Ohio State*
L 13–3486,266[2]
September 19at South Carolina*
L 3–1756,321[3]
September 26at Virginia
W 29–2427,523[4]
October 3East Carolina*
W 24–1418,250[5]
October 101:30 p.m.Virginia Tech*
  • Wallace Wade Stadium
  • Durham, NC
W 14–732,000[6]
October 17No. 6 Clemsondagger
  • Wallace Wade Stadium
  • Durham, NC
L 10–3826,000[7]
October 24at Maryland
L 21–2431,800[8]
October 31at Georgia Tech*
W 38–2430,232[9]
November 7at Wake Forest
W 31–1022,000[10]
November 14NC State
  • Wallace Wade Stadium
  • Durham, NC (rivalry)
W 17–726,750[11]
November 21No. 12 North Carolina
L 10–3138,525[12]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

[13]

Personnel[edit]

1981 Duke Blue Devils football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
QB 14 Ben Bennett So
WR Chris Castor
TE Carl Franks
WR Mark Militello
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Awards and honors[edit]

  • Chris Castor, ACC Offensive Player of the Year

References[edit]

  1. ^ WRAL.com. Retrieved 2020-Apr-22.
  2. ^ "Buckeyes inconsistent in win". The Akron Beacon Journal. September 13, 1981. Retrieved January 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "South Carolina defeats Duke". Greensboro News & Record. September 20, 1981. Retrieved January 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Duke squeaks by Virginia". The Daily News Leader. September 27, 1981. Retrieved January 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Late Pack spurt zaps pesky Bucs". The News and Observer. September 20, 1981. Retrieved March 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Tabron steals one for Blue Devils". The News and Observer. October 11, 1981. Retrieved December 16, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Clemson bedevils Duke, 38–10". Anderson Independent-Mail. October 18, 1981. Retrieved January 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Maryland slips by Blue Devils for 24–21 win". The Charlotte Observer. October 25, 1981. Retrieved January 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Rallying Duke wrecks Tech". The News and Observer. November 1, 1981. Retrieved January 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Rush-minded Devils crush defenseless Wake". The Danville Register. November 8, 1981. Retrieved January 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Sub Ron Sally sparks Duke over Wolfpack". Daily Press. November 15, 1981. Retrieved January 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Tar Heels gain Gator Bowl bid". Fort Lauderdale News. November 22, 1981. Retrieved January 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "1981 Duke Blue Devils Schedule and Results". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
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