1981 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game

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1981 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship
I-AA National Championship Game
Pioneer Bowl
Eastern Kentucky Colonels Idaho State Bengals
(12–1)(11–1)
Ohio Valley Big Sky
2334
Head coach: 
Roy Kidd 		Head coach: 
Dave Kragthorpe
NCAA Seed
11
NCAA Seed
22
1234Total
Eastern Kentucky367723
Idaho State7210634
DateDecember 19, 1981
Season 1981
Stadium Memorial Stadium
Location Wichita Falls, Texas
Attendance11,002 [1]
United States TV coverage
Network ABC Sports
Announcers Bill Flemming (play-by-play), Frank Broyles (color) [2]
NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship
 < 1980 1982 > 

The 1981 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Eastern Kentucky Colonels and the Idaho State Bengals. The game was played on December 19, 1981, at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas. The culminating game of the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Idaho State, 34–23. [3]

Contents

The game was also known as the Pioneer Bowl, [4] a name that had been used starting in 1971 for various NCAA playoff games held in Wichita Falls. The Colonels were making their third consecutive appearance in the I-AA championship game.

Teams

The participants of the Championship Game were the finalists of the 1981 I-AA Playoffs, which began with an eight-team bracket. [5]

Eastern Kentucky Colonels

Eastern Kentucky finished their regular season with a 10–1 record (8–0 in conference); their only loss was to Navy of Division I-A. [6] Ranked first in the final NCAA I-AA in-house poll [7] and seeded first in the tournament, the Colonels defeated seventh-seed Delaware and fourth-seed Boise State to reach the final. This was the third appearance for Eastern Kentucky in a Division I-AA championship game, having won in 1979 and having lost in 1980.

Idaho State Bengals

Idaho State finished their regular season with a 9–1 record (6–1 in conference); their only loss was an away game at Montana. [8] Ranked second in the final NCAA I-AA in-house poll [7] and seeded second in the tournament, the Bengals defeated eighth-seed Rhode Island and third-seed South Carolina State to reach the final. This was the first appearance for Idaho State in a Division I-AA championship game.

Game summary

Scoring summary

Scoring summary
QuarterTime Drive TeamScoring informationScore
Plays Yards TOP EKUISU
1EKU21-yard field goal by Jamie Lovett30
13:0780ISUChris Corp 17-yard touchdown reception from Mike Machurek, Case deBruijn kick good37
2EKUEd Hairston 3-yard touchdown run, Lovett kick failed97
2652ISUDwain Wilson 6-yard touchdown run, deBruijn kick good914
280ISUChris Ewing 9-yard touchdown reception from Machurek, deBruijn kick good921
22:5238ISUWilson 6-yard touchdown run, deBruijn kick good928
35:1771EKUNicky Yeast 2-yard touchdown run, Lovett kick good1628
414:__74ISUPaul Fite 2-yard touchdown run, 2-point run failed1634
48:13EKUYeast 4-yard touchdown run, Lovett kick good2334
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.2334

[1] [9] [10]

Game statistics

1234Total
Colonels367723
Bengals7210634
Memorial Stadium, site of the 1981 I-AA title game Wichita Falls October 2015 81 (Memorial Stadium).jpg
Memorial Stadium, site of the 1981 I-AA title game
StatisticsEKUISU
First downs1924
Plays–yards75–38677–482
Rushes–yards47–16731–102
Passing yards219380
Passing: comp–att–int14–28–131–46–0
Time of possession
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Eastern KentuckyPassing Chris Isaac 14–28, 219 yds, 1 INT
RushingNicky Yeast10 car, 58 yds
Receiving Steve Bird 5 rec, 81 yds
Idaho StatePassing Mike Machurek 29–44, 380 yds, 2 TD
RushingDwain Wilson12 car, 58 yds, 2 TD
ReceivingJerry Bird9 rec, 139 yds

[1] [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season</span> American college football season

The 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I-AA level, began in August 1981 and concluded with the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game on December 19, 1981, at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas. The Idaho State Bengals won their first I-AA championship, defeating the Eastern Kentucky Colonels in the Pioneer Bowl, 34−23.

The 1981 Idaho State Bengals football team represented Idaho State University in the Big Sky Conference during the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Bengals were led by second-year head coach Dave Kragthorpe and played their home games at the ASISU Minidome, an indoor venue on campus in Pocatello, Idaho.

The 2002 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and the McNeese State Cowboys. The game was played on December 20, 2002, at Finley Stadium, home field of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The culminating game of the 2002 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Western Kentucky, 34–14.

The 1999 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Georgia Southern Eagles and the Youngstown State Penguins. The game was played on December 18, 1999, at Finley Stadium, home field of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The culminating game of the 1999 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Georgia Southern, 59–24.

The 1997 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Youngstown State Penguins and the McNeese State Cowboys. The game was played on December 20, 1997, and was the first I-AA title game contested at Finley Stadium, home field of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The culminating game of the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Youngstown State, 10–9.

The 1996 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Marshall Thundering Herd and the Montana Grizzlies. The game was played on December 21, 1996, and was the last I-AA title game contested at Marshall University Stadium, now known as Joan C. Edwards Stadium, in Huntington, West Virginia. The culminating game of the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was a rematch of the prior season's final, and was won by Marshall, 49–29. It was also Marshall's final game in Division I-AA, now known as Division I FCS; the Herd would move to Division I-A the following July, joining the Mid-American Conference.

The 1995 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Marshall Thundering Herd and the Montana Grizzlies. The game was played on December 16, 1995, at Marshall University Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia. The culminating game of the 1995 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Montana, 22–20.

The 1994 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Youngstown State Penguins and the Boise State Broncos. The game was played on December 17, 1994, at Marshall University Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia. The culminating game of the 1994 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Youngstown State, 28–14.

The 1993 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Youngstown State Penguins and the Marshall Thundering Herd. The game was played on December 18, 1993, at Marshall University Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia. The culminating game of the 1993 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Youngstown State, 17–5. This was the third consecutive season that these two teams met in the championship game.

The 1992 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Youngstown State Penguins and the Marshall Thundering Herd. The game was played on December 19, 1992, at Marshall University Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia. The culminating game of the 1992 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Marshall, 31–28. The game was a rematch of the prior season's championship game.

The 1991 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Youngstown State Penguins and the Marshall Thundering Herd. The game was played on December 21, 1991, at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia. The culminating game of the 1991 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Youngstown State, 25–17.

The 1990 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Georgia Southern Eagles and the Nevada Wolf Pack. The game was played on December 15, 1990, at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia. The culminating game of the 1990 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Georgia Southern, 36–13. It was the second consecutive Division I-AA title, and fourth overall, for Georgia Southern.

The 1988 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Georgia Southern Eagles and the Furman Paladins. The game was played on December 17, 1988, at Holt Arena in Pocatello, Idaho. The culminating game of the 1988 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Furman, 17–12.

The 1987 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Northeast Louisiana Indians and the Marshall Thundering Herd. The game was played on December 19, 1987, at the Minidome in Pocatello, Idaho. The culminating game of the 1987 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Northeast Louisiana, 43–42.

The 1986 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Arkansas State Indians and the Georgia Southern Eagles. The game was played on December 19, 1986, at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington. The culminating game of the 1986 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Georgia Southern, 48–21. Georgia Southern, the defending champion from 1985, became the first program to win consecutive Division I-AA titles.

The 1984 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Montana State Bobcats and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. The game was played on December 15, 1984, at Johnson Hagood Stadium in Charleston, South Carolina. The culminating game of the 1984 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Montana State, 19–6.

The 1983 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Southern Illinois Salukis and the Western Carolina Catamounts. The game was played on December 17, 1983, at Johnson Hagood Stadium in Charleston, South Carolina. The culminating game of the 1983 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Southern Illinois, 43–7.

The 1982 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Eastern Kentucky Colonels and the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens. The game was played on December 18, 1982, at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas. The culminating game of the 1982 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Eastern Kentucky, 17–14.

The 1980 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Eastern Kentucky Colonels and the Boise State Broncos. The game was played on December 20, 1980, at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento, California. The culminating game of the 1980 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Boise State, 31–29.

The 1979 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Eastern Kentucky Colonels and the Lehigh Engineers. The game was played on December 15, 1979, at Orlando Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The culminating game of the 1979 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Eastern Kentucky, 30–7.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Stroop, Joe (December 20, 1981). "Idaho State wins I-AA football title". The Morning News . Wilmington, Delaware. AP. p. D11. Retrieved May 11, 2019– via newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ "Highlights from the 1981 1-AA National Championship Team---the ISU Bengals". February 24, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2019– via YouTube.
  3. ↑ "Idaho State Takes Title, 34-23". The New York Times . AP. December 20, 1981. Retrieved May 11, 2019– via nytimes.com.
  4. ↑ "Pioneer Bowl Comeback Today". Rutland Daily Herald . Rutland, Vermont. December 19, 1981. p. 24. Retrieved May 11, 2019– via newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Cooper, Barry (May 1, 1981). "MEAC gets berth in I-AA football playoffs". Tallahassee Democrat . p. 23. Retrieved February 9, 2019– via newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Eastern Kentucky Colonels 1981 Schedule". cfbinfo.com. Archived from the original on May 11, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
  7. 1 2 "NCAA Division I-AA". The Morning News . Wilmington, Delaware. AP. November 25, 1981. p. B2. Retrieved May 11, 2019– via newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Idaho State Bengals 1981 Schedule". cfbinfo.com. Archived from the original on May 11, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
  9. ↑ Sutton, Stan (December 20, 1981). "Eastern's mistakes lead to 34-23 loss in I-AA title game". The Courier-Journal . Louisville, Kentucky. p. C 1. Retrieved May 11, 2019– via newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ Sutton, Stan (December 20, 1981). "Eastern's mistakes lead to 34-23 loss in I-AA title game (cont'd)". The Courier-Journal . Louisville, Kentucky. p. C 4. Retrieved May 11, 2019– via newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Pioneer Bowl". El Paso Times . El Paso, Texas. December 20, 1981. p. 8C. Retrieved May 11, 2019– via newspapers.com.

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