1981 Widener Pioneers football team

1981 Widener Pioneers football
NCAA Division III champion
MAC Southern Division champion
Stagg Bowl, W 17–10 vs. Dayton
ConferenceMiddle Atlantic Conference
DivisionSouthern Division
Record13–0 (8–0 MAC)
Head coach
1981 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Northern Division
Delaware Valley x 6 – 1 – 0 9 – 2 – 0
Juniata x 6 – 1 – 0 6 – 2 – 1
Albright 4 – 2 – 1 5 – 3 – 1
Lycoming 4 – 2 – 1 5 – 4 – 1
Susquehanna 4 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Upsala 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 8 – 0
Wilkes 0 – 7 – 0 0 – 9 – 0
Southern Division
x^ 8 – 0 – 0 13 – 0 – 0
Johns Hopkins 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Swarthmore 6 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Franklin & Marshall 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Gettysburg 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
Western Maryland 5 – 3 – 0 5 – 3 – 1
Lebanon Valley 4 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Muhlenberg 3 – 5 – 0 3 – 5 – 0
Ursinus 1 – 6 – 1 2 – 6 – 1
Moravian 0 – 7 – 1 2 – 8 – 1
Dickinson 0 – 8 – 0 0 – 9 – 0
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant

The 1981 Widener Pioneers football team represented Widener University as a member of the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) during the 1981 NCAA Division III football season. In their 13th season under head coach Bill Manlove, the Pride compiled a 13–0 record and won the NCAA Division III championship.[1]

The team played its home games in Chester, Pennsylvania.

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 12Delaware Valley*Chester, PAW 21–62,500
September 19at Juniata*Huntingdon, PAW 37–132,500
September 26Johns HopkinsChester, PAW 26–133,000
October 3at MuhlenbergAllentown, PAW 17–32,000
October 10GettysburgChester, PAW 38–194,500
October 17DickinsonChester, PAW 31–03,000
October 24at MoravianBethlehem, PAW 23–02,000
October 31at Franklin & MarshallLancaster, PAW 17–76,000
November 7UrsinusChester, PAW 43–143,000
November 14at SwarthmoreSwarthmore, PAW 16–69,000
November 21at West Georgia*W 10–3
November 28Montclair State*Chester, PA (NCAA Division III semifinal)W 23–12[2]
December 5vs. Dayton*Phenix City, AL (Stagg Bowl—NCAA Division III championship game)W 17–106,000[3]
  • *Non-conference game

[4]

References

  1. ^ "1981 Football Schedule - NCAA Division III Champions". Widener Athletics. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  2. ^ Elliott Denman (November 29, 1981). "Widener's second half rally stops Montclair, 23-12". Asbury Park Press. p. C3 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Frank Dolson (December 6, 1981). "Widener captures Division III title, tips Dayton, 17-10". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 1E, 12E – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Final 1981 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Widener)". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved May 31, 2025.