1981 Harvard Crimson football
ConferenceIvy League
Record5–4–1 (4–2–1 Ivy)
Head coach
CaptainPeter M. Coppinger
Home stadiumHarvard Stadium
Seasons
← 1980
1982 →
1981 Ivy League football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Yale + 6 – 1 – 0 9 – 1 – 0
Dartmouth + 6 – 1 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
Princeton 5 – 1 – 1 5 – 4 – 1
Harvard 4 – 2 – 1 5 – 4 – 1
Brown 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
Cornell 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
Columbia 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 9 – 0
Penn 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 9 – 0
  • + – Conference co-champions

The 1981 Harvard Crimson football team was an American football team that represented Harvard University during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. Harvard finished fourth in the Ivy League.

In their 11th year under head coach Joe Restic, the Crimson compiled a 5–4–1 record and outscored opponents 218 to 173. Peter M. Coppinger was the team captain.[1]

Harvard's 4–2–1 conference record placed fourth in the Ivy League standings. The Crimson outscored Ivy opponents 163 to 99.[2]

This would be Harvard's last season in the NCAA's top level of football competition. Shortly after the season ended, the NCAA reassigned all of the Ivy League teams to the second-tier Division I-AA,[3] which would later be renamed the Football Championship Subdivision.

Harvard played its home games at Harvard Stadium in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 19 at Columbia
W 23–6 4,745 [4]
September 26 Holy Cross*
  • Harvard Stadium
  • Boston, MA
L 19–33 17,000 [5]
October 3 Army*
  • Harvard Stadium
  • Boston, MA
L 13–27 16,000 [6]
October 10 at Cornell
W 27–10 12,500 [7]
October 17 Dartmouth
  • Harvard Stadium
  • Boston, MA (rivalry)
L 10–24 25,000 [8]
October 24 Princeton
  • Harvard Stadium
  • Boston, MA (rivalry)
T 17–17 17,500 [9]
October 31 at Brown
W 41–7 14,600 [10]
November 7 at William & Mary*
W 23–14 16,000 [11]
November 14 Penn
  • Harvard Stadium
  • Boston, MA (rivalry)
W 45–7 10,500 [12]
November 21 at Yale
L 0–28 75,300 [13]
  • *Non-conference game

References

  1. ^ "Football Record Book: Year-by-Year Results" (PDF). Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  2. ^ "Year-by-Year History". Ivy League Football Media Guide (PDF). Princeton, N.J.: Ivy League. 2017. p. 29. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  3. ^ Roberts, Ernie (December 4, 1981). "Big Guys on Block Bully Ivy, HC Football". The Boston Globe. Boston, Mass.
  4. ^ Craig, Jack (September 20, 1981). "Cuccia Sparks Harvard". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 56 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Monahan, Bob (September 27, 1981). "Harvard Can't Handle Holy Cross". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 78 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Concannon, Joe (October 4, 1981). "Army Belts Harvard". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 84 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Taussig, Pete (October 11, 1981). "Harvard Handles Cornell". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 70 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Roberts, Ernie (October 18, 1981). "Dartmouth Whips Harvard". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 80 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Monahan, Bob (October 25, 1981). "Harvard Gains Tie". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 86 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Roberts, Ernie (November 1, 1981). "Harvard Rips Brown". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 86 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Concannon, Joe (November 8, 1981). "Cuccia Leads Way for Harvard". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 80 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Concannon, Joe (November 15, 1981). "Harvard Still in Running". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 81 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Concannon, Joe (November 22, 1981). "The Game, The Win Belong to Yale, 28-0". Boston Sunday Globe. Boston, Mass. p. 71 – via Newspapers.com.
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