1981 Elon Fightin' Christians football team
American college football season
| 1981 Elon Fightin' Christians football | |
|---|---|
NAIA Division I national champion SAC champion | |
NAIA Division I Championship Game, W 3–0 vs. Pittsburg State | |
| Conference | South Atlantic Conference |
| Record | 11–1–1 (6–1 SAC) |
| Head coach |
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Seasons ← 1980 1982 → | |
| Conf | Overall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 2 Elon $^ | 6 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 12 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Presbyterian | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Carson–Newman | 4 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Catawba | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gardner–Webb | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mars Hill | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Newberry | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lenoir–Rhyne | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1981 Elon Fightin' Christians football team was an American football team that represented Elon University of Elon, North Carolina, as a member of the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) during the 1981 NAIA Division I football season. In their fifth and final year under head coach Jerry Tolley, the Christians compiled an 11–1–1 record (6–1 against SAC opponents) and won the SAC championship.[1]
The team lost to Catawba and tied with Norfolk State.[1] The team advanced to the NAIA Division I playoffs, defeating Concord (38–8) in the quarterfinals, Hillsdale (41–13) in the semifinals, and Pittsburg State (3–0) in the national championship game.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 12 | Mars Hill |
| W 8–0 | ||||
| September 19 | at Guilford* | Greensboro, NC | W 38–0 | ||||
| October 3 | Lenoir–Rhyne |
| W 12–3 | ||||
| October 10 | at Norfolk State* | Norfolk, VA | T 20–20 | 15,500 | [2] | ||
| October 17 | at Presbyterian | Clinton, SC | W 16–10 | [3] | |||
| October 24 | Catawba |
| L 30–17 | ||||
| October 31 | Gardner–Webb |
| W 56–10 | ||||
| November 7 | at Newberry | Newberry, SC | W 27–21 | 3,000 | [4] | ||
| November 14 | Winston-Salem State* |
| W 30–20 | 6,500 | [5] | ||
| November 21 | at Carson–Newman | Jefferson City, TN | W 23–14 | [6] | |||
| December 5 | at Concord* | Bluefield, WV (NAIA Division I quarterfinal) | W 37–8 | 1,500 | [7] | ||
| December 12 | Hillsdale* |
| W 41–13 | 4,500 | [8] | ||
| December 19 | Pittsburg State* |
| W 3–0 | 3,705 | [9][10] | ||
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References
- ^ a b "Elon Year-by-Year vs. Opponents". Elon University. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
- ^ "Norfolk State 20, Elon 20". The Charlotte Observer. October 11, 1981. p. 3C – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Richard Chesley (October 18, 1981). "Unbeaten Elon Trips Presbyterian 16-10". The State. p. 5D – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Elon captures Pettus, holds off Indians". The Greenville News. November 8, 1981. p. 4C – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Elon 30, Winston-Salem State 20". The Charlotte Observer. November 15, 1981. p. 6D – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Elon clinches a tie". The Greenville News. November 22, 1981. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bangley, defense lead Elon to 38-7 victory". The News and Observer. December 6, 1981. p. 9-II – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ David Scott (December 13, 1981). "Elon Marches To NAIA Title Game". The Charlotte Observer. p. 9D – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Bill Woodward (December 20, 1981). "Elon captures NAIA crown (part 1)". The News and Observer. pp. II-1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Bill Woodward (December 20, 1981). "Elon captures NAIA crown (part 2)". The News and Observer. pp. II-1 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
- Elon University film on the 1980-81 seasons
