1981 Elon Fightin' Christians football team

1981 Elon Fightin' Christians football
NAIA Division I national champion SAC champion
NAIA Division I Championship Game, W 3–0 vs. Pittsburg State
Conference	South Atlantic Conference
Record	11–1–1 (6–1 SAC)
Head coach	Jerry Tolley (5th season)
Seasons ←  1980 1982 →

1981 South Atlantic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 2 Elon $^	6	–	1	–	0			12	–	1	–	1
Presbyterian	5	–	2	–	0			6	–	5	–	0
Carson–Newman	4	–	3	–	0			7	–	4	–	0
Catawba	3	–	4	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Gardner–Webb	3	–	4	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Mars Hill	3	–	4	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Newberry	2	–	5	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
Lenoir–Rhyne	2	–	5	–	0			2	–	9	–	0
$ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll

The 1981 Elon Fightin' Christians football team was an American football team that represented Elon University of Elon, North Carolina, as a member of the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) during the 1981 NAIA Division I football season. In their fifth and final year under head coach Jerry Tolley, the Christians compiled an 11–1–1 record (6–1 against SAC opponents) and won the SAC championship. ^[1]

The team lost to Catawba and tied with Norfolk State. ^[1] The team advanced to the NAIA Division I playoffs, defeating Concord (38–8) in the quarterfinals, Hillsdale (41–13) in the semifinals, and Pittsburg State (3–0) in the national championship game.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 12	Mars Hill	Burlington Memorial Football Stadium Burlington, NC	W 8–0
September 19	at Guilford *	Greensboro, NC	W 38–0
October 3	Lenoir–Rhyne	Burlington Memorial Football Stadium Burlington, NC	W 12–3
October 10	at Norfolk State *	Norfolk, VA	T 20–20	15,500	[2]
October 17	at Presbyterian	Clinton, SC	W 16–10		[3]
October 24	Catawba	Burlington Memorial Football Stadium Burlington, NC	L 30–17
October 31	Gardner–Webb	Burlington Memorial Football Stadium Burlington, NC	W 56–10
November 7	at Newberry	Newberry, SC	W 27–21	3,000	[4]
November 14	Winston-Salem State *	Burlington Memorial Football Stadium Burlington, NC	W 30–20	6,500	[5]
November 21	at Carson–Newman	Jefferson City, TN	W 23–14		[6]
December 5	at Concord *	Bluefield, WV (NAIA Division I quarterfinal)	W 37–8	1,500	[7]
December 12	Hillsdale *	Burlington Memorial Football Stadium Burlington, NC (NAIA Division I semifinal)	W 41–13	4,500	[8]
December 19	Pittsburg State *	Burlington Memorial Football Stadium Burlington, NC (NAIA Division I National Championship Game)	W 3–0	3,705	[9] [10]
*Non-conference game

References

1. "Elon Year-by-Year vs. Opponents". Elon University. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
2. "Norfolk State 20, Elon 20". The Charlotte Observer. October 11, 1981. p. 3C – via Newspapers.com.
3. Richard Chesley (October 18, 1981). "Unbeaten Elon Trips Presbyterian 16-10". The State. p. 5D – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Elon captures Pettus, holds off Indians". The Greenville News. November 8, 1981. p. 4C – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Elon 30, Winston-Salem State 20". The Charlotte Observer. November 15, 1981. p. 6D – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Elon clinches a tie". The Greenville News. November 22, 1981. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Bangley, defense lead Elon to 38-7 victory". The News and Observer. December 6, 1981. p. 9-II – via Newspapers.com.
8. David Scott (December 13, 1981). "Elon Marches To NAIA Title Game". The Charlotte Observer. p. 9D – via Newspapers.com.
9. Bill Woodward (December 20, 1981). "Elon captures NAIA crown (part 1)". The News and Observer. pp. II-1 – via Newspapers.com.
10. Bill Woodward (December 20, 1981). "Elon captures NAIA crown (part 2)". The News and Observer. pp. II-1 – via Newspapers.com.

External links

• Elon University film on the 1980-81 seasons