The 1981 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team was an American football team that represented the University of Delaware as an independent during the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Delaware ended the regular season ranked No. 7 in the nation, but lost in the first round of the playoffs.
1981 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football | |
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NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal, L 28–35 at Eastern Kentucky | |
Conference | Independent |
Record | 9–3 |
Head coach |
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Captain | Ed Braceland |
Home stadium | Delaware Stadium |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In their 16th year under head coach Tubby Raymond, the Hens compiled a 9–3 record (9–2 regular season). Ed Braceland was the team captain.
Starting the year on a three-game winning streak, the Hens were ranked No. 1 in the first two weeks of the weekly rankings. Though they dropped out of the top 10 in the middle of the year, a strong ending to the season saw them climb back to No. 7 in time to qualify for the eight-team playoff.
Delaware played its home games at Delaware Stadium on the university campus in Newark, Delaware.
Schedule
editDate | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | ||
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September 12 | at Western Kentucky | W 38–14 | 13,000 | [1] | ||||
September 19 | Temple |
| W 13–7 | 22,379 | [2] | |||
September 24 | at Princeton | No. 1 | W 61–8 | 10,110 | [3] | |||
October 3 | Lehigh | No. 1 |
| L 21–24 | 22,784 | [4] | ||
October 10 | UMass | No. T–7 |
| W 38–15 | 19,581 | [5] | ||
October 17 | Youngstown State | No. T–6 |
| L 21–24 | 18,645 | [6] | ||
October 24 | Rhode Island |
| W 35–15 | 20,135 | [7] | |||
November 7 | at Penn | W 40–6 | 10,117 | [8] | ||||
November 14 | Maine | No. T–10 |
| W 42–35 | 16,743 | [9] | ||
November 21 | West Chester | No. 8 |
| W 31–14 | 17,767 | [10] | ||
November 27 | at Connecticut | No. 7 | W 35–26 | 5,084 | [11] | |||
December 5 | at No. 1 Eastern Kentucky | No. 7 | L 28–35 | 8,100 | [12] | |||
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References
edit- ^ Tomashek, Tom (September 13, 1981). "Hens Ride 38-Point First Half to Victory". Sunday News Journal. Wilmington, Del. p. D-1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Simmons, Bill (September 20, 1981). "Delaware Massacres Princeton". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. p. 9-D – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Shister, Gail (September 27, 1981). "Delaware Overcomes Owls, 13-7". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. p. 1-D – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Simmons, Bill (October 4, 1981). "Lehigh Rallies from Big Deficit, Beats Delaware". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. p. 9-F – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Monahan, Bob (October 11, 1981). "UMass Thumped". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 71 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Tomashek, Tom (October 18, 1981). "Hens Fall to Youngstown 24-21". Sunday News Journal. Wilmington, Del. p. D-1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Tomashek, Tom (October 18, 1981). "Hens Climb from Hole, Overtake Rhode Island". Sunday News Journal. Wilmington, Del. p. D-1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Simmons, Bill (November 8, 1981). "Delaware Routs Penn to Keep Playoff Hopes Alive". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. p. 9-F – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Simmons, Bill (November 15, 1981). "Delaware Fights Off Unrelenting Maine in Last Minute, 42-35". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. p. 9-E – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Simmons, Bill (November 22, 1981). "Delaware Keeps Its Streak Alive, Whipping West Chester State, 31-14". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. p. 10-E – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Tomashek, Tom (November 28, 1981). "Dougherty Rushes Hens Past UConn". The News Journal. Wilmington, Del. p. B-1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Simmons, Bill (December 6, 1981). "Delaware Knocked Out of Playoffs". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. p. 9-E – via Newspapers.com.