1981 Lamar Cardinals football
ConferenceSouthland Conference
Record4–6–1 (1–3–1 Southland)
Head coach
Home stadiumCardinal Stadium
Seasons
← 1980
1982 →
1981 Southland Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Texas–Arlington $ 4 – 1 – 0 6 – 5 – 0
McNeese State 3 – 1 – 1 7 – 3 – 1
Arkansas State 3 – 2 – 0 6 – 5 – 0
Louisiana Tech 2 – 2 – 1 4 – 6 – 1
Lamar 1 – 3 – 1 4 – 6 – 1
Southwestern Louisiana 0 – 4 – 1 1 – 9 – 1
  • $ – Conference champion

The 1981 Lamar Cardinals football team represented Lamar University in the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season as a member of the Southland Conference. The Cardinals played their home games at Cardinal Stadium now named Provost Umphrey Stadium in Beaumont, Texas. Lamar finished the 1981 season with a 4–6–1 overall record and a 1–3–1 conference record. A highlight for the season was a last second victory over the defending Southwest Conference champion Baylor Bears at the Bears' home field, Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.[1]

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 5at Baylor*
W 18–1722,000
September 19vs. Sam Houston State*
W 50–712,500[2][3]
September 26Southwest Texas State*
L 7–24[4]
October 3Stephen F. Austin*
  • Cardinal Stadium
  • Beaumont, TX
L 10–13
October 10at Northeast Louisiana*
W 17–13[5]
October 17Louisiana Tech
  • Cardinal Stadium
  • Beaumont, TX
L 7–169,208[6]
October 31McNeese State
  • Cardinal Stadium
  • Beaumont, TX (rivalry)
T 20–20[7]
November 7at Arkansas State
L 9–169,127[8]
November 14Southwestern Louisiana
W 14–12
November 21at Texas–Arlington
L 7–318,000[9]
November 28at Southern Miss*
L 14–4531,842[10]
  • *Non-conference game

[11]

Postseason

Move to NCAA Division I-AA

The 1981 season marked the Cardinals' final season at the NCAA Division I-A level. The Southland Conference along with several other conferences including the Ivy League, Southern Conference, several members of the Missouri Valley Conference, as well as several other teams were forced down to NCAA Division I-AA after failing to meet attendance / stadium size attendance requirements.[12]

Head coach resignation

The 1981 season was Larry Kennan's last season as the Cardinals' head football coach. Kennan left the team after the conclusion of the 1981 season to take an assistant coaching position with the Los Angeles Rams.[13]

References

  1. ^ "Alabama Beats L.S.U.; Lamar Upsets Baylor 18-17". New York Times. September 6, 1981. Retrieved March 28, 2016. Mike Marlow kicked a 42-yard field goal with three seconds to play to give Lamar an upset of Baylor, the defending Southwest Conference champion, in a nonconference game.
  2. ^ "Lamar romps over Sam Houston". Corpus Christi Caller-Times. September 20, 1981. Retrieved February 13, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Final 1981 Cumulative Football Statistics Report". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  4. ^ "SWT trips Lamar". The Corpus Christi Caller-Times. September 27, 1981. Retrieved March 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Lamar rallies by Northeast, 17–13". Longview News-Journal. October 11, 1981. p. 2B. Retrieved January 29, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Dunigan paces Tech over Lamar". The Town Talk. October 18, 1981. Retrieved July 2, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "McNeese 20, Lamar 20". The Odessa American. November 1, 1981. Retrieved March 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Langford drums up victory for Indians". The Commercial Appeal. November 8, 1981. Retrieved August 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "UTA claims crown". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. November 22, 1981. p. B1. Retrieved January 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Collier, Winder set standards in 45–14 victory over Lamar". The Clarion-Ledger. November 29, 1981. Retrieved March 25, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "2015 Lamar University Football". Lamar University Athletics. pp. 109–110. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  12. ^ Gordon S. White, Jr. (December 5, 1981). "Ivy League is Forced to Lose Major-team Football Status". New York Times. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  13. ^ Thomas Rogers (June 7, 1982). "Sports World Specials; Quality Control Engineer". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
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