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American college football season
The 1981 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season . The biggest win of the year was against a #1 Texas team, which the Razorbacks were rivals with already. Although unranked, the Razorbacks came out on top by 31 points, ending Texas' run at the top of the polls.
Unranked at the end of the regular season, the Hogs still received a Gator Bowl berth against a 10–2 North Carolina team ranked 11th.[ 1] The SWC's champion, SMU, could not participate in a bowl game due to probation.[ 2]
Defensive lineman Billy Ray Smith was a consensus All-American for Arkansas.[ 3] Bruce Lahay, a kicker , also received first-team honors. Lahay was in a three-way tie for field goals per game in 1981, hitting on 1.73 per game. This mark was also held by Kevin Butler of Georgia and Larry Roach of Oklahoma State .
Date Opponent Rank Site TV Result Attendance Source September 12 Tulsa * W 14–1042,118 [ 4]
September 19 Northwestern * W 38–754,532 [ 5]
September 26 at Ole Miss * ESPN W 27–1363,522 [ 6]
October 3 at TCU L 24–2830,313 [ 7]
October 10 at Texas Tech ABC W 26–1441,866 [ 8]
October 17 No. 1 Texas Razorback Stadium Fayetteville, AR (rivalry ) ABC W 42–1144,031 [ 9]
October 24 Houston No. 12 War Memorial Stadium Little Rock, AR L 17–2054,618 [ 10]
October 31 at Rice No. 20 W 41–712,000 [ 11]
November 7 Baylor No. 19 War Memorial Stadium Little Rock, AR ESPN W 41–3954,560 [ 12]
November 14 at Texas A&M No. 16 ABC W 10–760,003 [ 13]
November 21 SMU No. 16 Razorback Stadium Fayetteville, AR L 18–3243,842 [ 14]
December 28 vs. No. 11 North Carolina * ABC L 27–3171,009 [ 15]
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
[ 16]
1981 Arkansas Razorbacks football team roster
Players
Coaches
Offense
Defense
Special teams
Pos.
#
Name
Class
K , P
Bruce Lahay
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
Injured
Redshirt
[ 17]
^ "1981 Bowl Recap with Top 20 Teams." Gator Bowl. Information Please. Retrieved on August 14, 2007.
^ "1981 Conference Champions." Information Please Database. Information Please. Retrieved on December 9, 2007.
^ "1981 Consensus All-Americans." Information Please Database. Information Please. Retrieved on August 14, 2007.
^ "Lahay boot lifts Arkansas past Tulsa" . The News-Star . September 13, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Hog runners dash to win over Wildcats" . The Commercial Appeal . September 20, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Arkansas is razor sharm against Rebs" . The Commercial Appeal . September 27, 1981. Retrieved November 1, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "TCU upsets Arkansas 28–24" . The El Paso Times . October 4, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Lahay, Arkansas kick Texas Tech" . Fort Worth Star-Telegram . October 11, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Arkansas makes Texas 4th No. 1 team to lose" . The Montgomery Advertiser . October 18, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Houston nips 17th-ranked Hogs by 3" . Bryan-College Station Eagle . October 25, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Arkansas rips Rice" . The Odessa American . November 1, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Late kick sends Arkansas to 41–39 win over Baylor" . Austin American-Statesman . November 8, 1981. Retrieved November 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Arkansas' rally trips Texas A&M" . The Tampa Tribune-Times . November 15, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "SMU belts Arkansas, rules SWC" . St. Petersburg Times . November 22, 1981. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "North Carolina fogs Arkansas in Gator Bowl" . Fort Worth Star-Telegram . December 29, 1981. Retrieved January 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "1981 Arkansas Razorbacks Schedule and Results" . SR/College Football . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 2, 2024 .
^ "1981 Arkansas Razorbacks Roster" . SR/College Football . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 2, 2024 .
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