1981 Arkansas Razorbacks football
Gator Bowl, L 27–31 vs. North Carolina
ConferenceSouthwest Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 16
Record8–4 (5–3 SWC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorLarry Beightol
Defensive coordinatorDon Lindsey
Home stadiumRazorback Stadium
War Memorial Stadium
1981 Southwest Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 5 SMU $ 7 –1 –010 –1 –0
No. 2 Texas 6 –1 –110 –1 –1
Houston 5 –2 –17 –4 –1
Arkansas 5 –3 –08 –4 –0
Texas A&M 4 –4 –07 –5 –0
Rice 3 –5 –04 –7 –0
Baylor 3 –5 –05 –6 –0
TCU 1 –6 –12 –7 –2
Texas Tech 0 –7 –11 –9 –1
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

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.

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 12Tulsa*
W 14–1042,118
September 19Northwestern*
W 38–754,532
September 26at Ole Miss*
ESPNW 27–1363,522[4]
October 3at TCU
L 24–2830,313
October 10at Texas Tech
ABCW 26–1441,866
October 17No. 1 Texas
  • Razorback Stadium
  • Fayetteville, AR (rivalry)
ABCW 42–1144,031
October 24HoustonNo. 12
  • War Memorial Stadium
  • Little Rock, AR
L 17–2054,618
October 31at RiceNo. 20
W 41–712,000
November 7BaylorNo. 19
  • War Memorial Stadium
  • Little Rock, AR
ESPNW 41–3954,560
November 14at Texas A&MNo. 16
ABCW 10–760,003
November 21SMUNo. 16
  • Razorback Stadium
  • Fayetteville, AR
L 12–3243,842
December 28vs. No. 11 North Carolina*
ABCL 27–3171,009
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Personnel

1981 Arkansas Razorbacks football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
RB Gary Anderson
OL Jay Bequette
RB Darryl Bowles
RB Thomas Brown
RB Jessie Clark
TE Steve Clyde
RB Mark Douglas
OL Charles Ginn
WR Derek Holloway
RB Tim Joiner
QB Tom Jones
WR Keith Kidd
RB Jim Koch
OL Steve Korte
TE Darryl Mason
QB McHan
WR Gerald McMurray
WR Mark Mistler
OL Alfred Mohammed
RB Nellum
QB Bill Pierce
QB Scott Reed
QB Brad Taylor
RB James Tolbert
OL Ronnie Trusty
RB Wagner
TE Eddie White
 Defense
Pos.#NameClass
DL Phil Boren
DB Keith Burns
DB Kim Dameron
LB Steve Douglas
DL Ron Faurot
LB Jeff Goff
DB Nathan Jones
LB Teddy Morris
DB Kent Reber
DL Richard Richardson
DL Billy Ray Smith
DB Danny Walters
DL Bert Zinamon
 Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
K, P Bruce Lahay
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • (S) Suspended
    • (I) Ineligible
    • Injured Injured
    • Redshirt Redshirt

    Game summaries

    Tulsa

    Northwestern

    At Ole Miss

    At TCU

    At Texas Tech

    Texas

    #1 Texas Longhorns (4–0) at Arkansas Razorbacks (4–1)
    Period 1 2 34Total
    Texas 0 3 0811
    Arkansas 15 10 14342

    at Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, Arkansas

    • Date: October 17
    • Game time: 2:45 p.m.
    • Game weather: Overcast, 70 °F (21 °C)
    • Game attendance: 44,031
    • TV: ABC
    • Box Score
    Game information

    Coming home to play Texas is like coming home to your wife with lipstick on your collar. Sometimes, you might be better off not coming home.

    Lou Holtz, Arkansas Democrat (during the week)

    [5]

    It was a great win...I'm glad we're not playing them again tomorrow.

    Lou Holtz (postgame)

    [6]

    Houston

    At Rice

    Baylor

    At Texas A&M

    SMU

    Gator Bowl (vs. North Carolina)

    References

    1. ↑ "1981 Bowl Recap with Top 20 Teams." Gator Bowl. Information Please. Retrieved on August 14, 2007.
    2. ↑ "1981 Conference Champions." Information Please Database. Information Please. Retrieved on December 9, 2007.
    3. ↑ "1981 Consensus All-Americans." Information Please Database. Information Please. Retrieved on August 14, 2007.
    4. ↑ "Arkansas is razor sharm against Rebs". The Commercial Appeal. September 27, 1981. Retrieved November 1, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
    5. ↑ "247sports.com". October 6, 2016. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
    6. ↑ "No. 1 jinx holds up — Texas falls to Arkansas". Eugene Register-Guard. October 18, 1981. Retrieved October 10, 2022.


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