1981 Lafayette Leopards football team

1981 Lafayette Leopards football
Conference	Independent
Ranking
AP	No. 8
Record	9–2
Head coach	Bill Russo (1st season)
Captains	Steve Biale Joe Skladany
Home stadium	Fisher Field

1981 NCAA Division I-AA independents football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 8 Lafayette			–					9	–	2	–	0
No. 7 Delaware ^			–					9	–	3	–	0
No. 6 Tennessee State ^			–					9	–	3	–	0
Southeastern Louisiana			–					8	–	3	–	0
Lehigh			–					8	–	3	–	0
Nicholls State			–					5	–	5	–	1
Northwestern State			–					4	–	6	–	0
Bucknell			–					4	–	6	–	0
Northeastern			–					3	–	7	–	0
James Madison			–					3	–	8	–	0
^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

The 1981 Lafayette Leopards football team was an American football team that represented Lafayette College as an independent during the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season. In their first year under head coach Bill Russo, the Leopards compiled a 9–2 record.^[1] Steve Biale and Joe Skladany were the team captains.^[2] Lafayette played home games at Fisher Field on College Hill in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 12	at Central Connecticut State		Fisher Field Easton, PA	W 51–0	5,200	[3]
September 19	at Davidson		Richardson Stadium Davidson, NC	W 14–7	4,700	[4]
September 26	at Columbia		Baker Field New York, NY	W 28–13	3,795	[5]
October 3	Maine		Fisher Field Easton, PA	W 17–0		[1]
October 10	Bucknell	No. 10	Fisher Field Easton, PA	W 37–0	11,500	[6]
October 17	at Colgate	No. 8	Andy Kerr Stadium Hamilton, NY	L 0–30	5,500	[7]
October 24	at Gettysburg		Musselman Stadium Gettysburg, PA	W 28–14	3,237	[8]
October 31	C.W. Post		Fisher Field Easton, PA	W 48–10		[1]
November 7	No. 6 New Hampshire		Fisher Field Easton, PA	L 18–21	5,300	[9]
November 14	at Merchant Marine		Tomb Field Kings Point, NY	W 49–13		[1]
November 21	at No. 6 Lehigh		Taylor Stadium Bethlehem, PA (The Rivalry)	W 10–3	19,000	[10]
^ Parents Days Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee Poll released prior to the game

References

1. "Lafayette Football 1963-1986". 2019 Lafayette Football Record Book (PDF). Easton, Pa.: Lafayette College. p. 104. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
2. "Team Captains 1882-2019". 2019 Lafayette Football Record Book (PDF). Easton, Pa.: Lafayette College. p. 97. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
3. "Leopards Zip Central with Aerial Show". The Hartford Courant. Hartford, Conn. September 13, 1981. pp. D10, D2 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "This Week's Rally Attempt Falls Short for Davidson". The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte, N.C. September 20, 1981. p. 6C – via Newspapers.com.
5. Compton, Eric (September 20, 1981). "Columbia Defense No Match for Lafayette, 28-13". Daily News. New York, N.Y. p. 72 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Lafayette 37, Bucknell 0". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. Associated Press. October 11, 1981. p. 14-F – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Raiders Zap Lafayette". The Sunday Press. Binghamton, N.Y. October 18, 1981. pp. 6B, 2B – via Newspapers.com.
8. Loose, Jim (October 26, 1981). "Bullets Make Good Effort but Lose". The Gettysburg Times. Gettysburg, Pa. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "New Hampshire Downs Lafayette". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. United Press International. November 8, 1981. p. 80 – via Newspapers.com.
10. Larimer, Terry (November 22, 1981). "Lafayette Stops Lehigh; Leopards' Defense Ruins Engineers' Bid to Reach Playoffs". Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.