1981 UMass Minutemen football team

1981 UMass Minutemen football
Yankee Conference co-champion
Conference	Yankee Conference
Record	6–3 (4–1 Yankee)
Head coach	Bob Pickett (4th season)
Defensive coordinator	Jim Reid (4th season)
Home stadium	Alumni Stadium

1981 Yankee Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Rhode Island +^	4	–	1	–	0			6	–	6	–	0
No. T–10 UMass +	4	–	1	–	0			6	–	3	–	0
Boston University	3	–	2	–	0			6	–	5	–	0
No. T–10 New Hampshire	2	–	3	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
Connecticut	1	–	4	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
Maine	1	–	4	–	0			3	–	7	–	1
+ – Conference co-champions ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

The 1981 UMass Minutemen football team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season as a member of the Yankee Conference. The team was coached by Bob Pickett and played its home games at Alumni Stadium in Hadley, Massachusetts. The 1981 season saw the Minutemen win their thirteenth Yankee Conference title. UMass finished the season with a record of 6–3 overall and 4–1 in conference play.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 19	Holy Cross*		Alumni Stadium Hadley, MA	W 13–10	9,960	[1]
September 26	Dartmouth*		Alumni Stadium Hadley, MA	W 10–8	11,855	[2]
October 3	Rhode Island	No. 6	Alumni Stadium Hadley, MA	L 10–16		[3]
October 10	at No. T–7 Delaware*		Delaware Stadium Newark, DE	L 15–38	19,581	[4]
October 17	Maine		Alumni Stadium Hadley, MA	W 20–7		[5]
October 24	Boston University		Alumni Stadium Hadley, MA	W 34–20		[6]
October 31	at Connecticut		Memorial Stadium Storrs, CT (rivalry)	W 29–24	15,980	[7]
November 7	at Boston College*		Alumni Stadium Chestnut Hill, MA (rivalry)	L 22–52	20,400	[8]
November 14	at No. 4 New Hampshire		Cowell Stadium Durham, NH (rivalry)	W 20–9		[9]
*Non-conference game Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee Poll released prior to the game

References

1. Monahan, Bob (September 20, 1981). "UMass' Late Rally Crosses Up HC". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 56 – via Newspapers.com.
2. Eisenberg, Harry (September 27, 1981). "UMass Dumps Dartmouth Again". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 78 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Rhode Island knocks UMass, 16–10". The Sunday Republican. October 4, 1981. Retrieved October 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
4. Monahan, Bob (October 11, 1981). "UMass Thumped". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 71 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "UM hopes for title still alive". Daily Hampshire Gazette. October 19, 1981. Retrieved October 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "McGrath throws Y-C into turmoil". Transcript-Telegram. October 26, 1981. Retrieved October 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "UMass unmasks UConn early, 29–24". The Day. November 1, 1981. Retrieved October 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "At Chestnut Hill, Mass". The Courier-Journal. November 8, 1981. p. C2 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "URI, UMass share crown". North Adams Transcript. November 16, 1981. Retrieved October 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.