1981 Howard Bison football team

1981 Howard Bison football
Conference	Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Record	6–4 (2–3 MEAC)
Head coach	Floyd Keith (3rd season)
Home stadium	Howard Stadium RFK Stadium

1981 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 3 South Carolina State $^	5	–	0	–	0			10	–	3	–	0
Florida A&M	4	–	1	–	0			7	–	4	–	0
Bethune–Cookman	3	–	2	–	0			6	–	4	–	0
Howard	2	–	3	–	0			6	–	5	–	0
Delaware State	1	–	4	–	0			2	–	9	–	0
North Carolina A&T	0	–	5	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

The 1981 Howard Bison football team represented Howard University as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) during the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by third-year head coach Floyd Keith, the Bison compiled an overall record of 6–4, with a mark of 2–3 in conference play, and finished fourth in the MEAC.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 12	Cheyney*	Howard Stadium Washington, DC	W 33–23		[1]
September 19	at Bethune–Cookman	Memorial Stadium Daytona Beach, FL	L 13–19		[2]
September 26	South Carolina State	Howard Stadium Washington, DC	L 6–34	8,500	[3]
October 3	Florida A&M	Howard Stadium Washington, DC	L 7–31	4,500	[4]
October 10	at Delaware State	Alumni Stadium Dover, DE	W 31–27		[5]
October 17	Virginia State*	RFK Stadium Washington, DC	W 26–14	7,000	[6]
October 24	at North Carolina A&T	Aggie Stadium Greensboro, NC	W 21–17	5,100	[7]
October 31	Norfolk State*	Howard Stadium Washington, DC	W 49–28	9,500	[8]
November 14	at Western Illinois*	Hanson Field Macomb, IL	L 17–20		[9]
November 21	at Morgan State	Hughes Stadium Baltimore, MD (rivalry)	W 35–32	2,000	[10]
*Non-conference game Homecoming

References

1. "Gray leads Howard over Cheyney 33–23". Sunday News Journal. September 13, 1981. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Bethune tops Howard 19–13". Florida Today. September 20, 1981. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Gaston powers Bulldogs to 34–6 walk over Howard". The Greenville News. September 27, 1981. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Florida A&M shakes it out, rolls it up 31–7". Tallahassee Democrat. October 4, 1981. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Howard handles Hornets' defense for 31–27 win". Sunday News Journal. October 11, 1981. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Howard stops Trojans". Richmond Times-Dispatch. October 18, 1981. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Howard comeback nips A&T". Greensboro News & Record. October 25, 1981. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Howard blasts Norfolk State". Daily Press. November 1, 1981. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Punt return sparks Western by Howard". The Pantagraph. November 15, 1981. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Morgan falls to Howard by 35 to 32". The Baltimore Sun. November 22, 1981. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.