1981 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team

The 1981 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the 1981 Big Ten Conference football season. In their third year under head coach Joe Salem, the Golden Gophers compiled a 6–5 record and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 274 to 264.^[1] It was the final season in Memorial Stadium.^[2]

1981 Minnesota Golden Gophers football
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Record	6–5 (4–5 Big Ten)
Head coach	Joe Salem (3rd season)
MVP	Mike Hohensee
Captain	Ken Dallafior
Home stadium	Memorial Stadium
Seasons ← 1980 1982 →

1981 Big Ten Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 15 Ohio State +	6	–	2	–	0			9	–	3	–	0
No. 18 Iowa +	6	–	2	–	0			8	–	4	–	0
No. 12 Michigan	6	–	3	–	0			9	–	3	–	0
Illinois	6	–	3	–	0			7	–	4	–	0
Wisconsin	6	–	3	–	0			7	–	5	–	0
Minnesota	4	–	5	–	0			6	–	5	–	0
Michigan State	4	–	5	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Purdue	3	–	6	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Indiana	3	–	6	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
Northwestern	0	–	9	–	0			0	–	11	–	0
+ – Conference co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

Quarterback Mike Hohensee received the team's Most Valuable Player award, while flanker Chester Cooper was named offensive MVP, and linebacker Jim Fahnhorst was named the defensive MVP. Fahnhorst and offensive tackle Ken Dallafior were named All-Big Ten first team. Cooper, offensive lineman Bill Humphries, defensive end Karl Mecklenburg, and defensive lineman Fred Orgas were named All-Big Ten second team. Defensive lineman Brent Harms and Fred Orgas, free safety Mike Robb, and safety Rick Witthus were named Academic All-Big Ten.^[3]

Several Minnesota players ranked among the Big Ten leaders, including the following:

• Mike Hohensee led the conference with 20 passing touchdowns and ranked fourth with 2,412 passing yards.^[4]
• Wide receiver Chester Cooper led the conference with 1,012 receiving yards and ranked second with 58 receptions.^[4]
• Running back Frank Jacobs ranked sixth in the conference with 638 rushing yards and fifth with eight rushing touchdowns.^[4]
• Placekicker Jim Gallery ranked second in the conference with 13 field goals made, fourth with a 59.8 field goal percentage, and seventh with 62 points scored.^[4]

Total attendance for the season was 301,248, which averaged to 43,035. The season high for attendance was against Michigan.^[5]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance	Source
September 12		Ohio*	Memorial Stadium Minneapolis, MN		W 19–17	40,086	[6]
September 19		Purdue	Memorial Stadium Minneapolis, MN	WLFI-TV[7]	W 16–13	41,530	[8]
September 26		Oregon State*	Memorial Stadium Minneapolis, MN		W 42–12	30,890	[9]
October 3		at Illinois	Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL		L 29–38	63,814	[10]
October 10		Northwestern	Memorial Stadium Minneapolis, MN		W 35–23	45,949	[11]
October 17		at Indiana	Memorial Stadium Bloomington, IN		L 16–17	46,460	[12]
October 24		at No. 6 Iowa	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA (rivalry)		W 12–10	60,000	[13]
October 31		No. 15 Michigan	Memorial Stadium Minneapolis, MN (Little Brown Jug)	ON-TV	L 13–34	52,875	[14]
November 7	1:00 pm	No. 18 Ohio State	Memorial Stadium Minneapolis, MN	ESPN[15]	W 35–31	42,793	[16]
November 14		at Michigan State	Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI		L 36–43	56,571	[17]
November 21		Wisconsin	Memorial Stadium Minneapolis, MN (rivalry)		L 21–26	47,125	[18]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Game summaries

Oregon State

See also: 1981 Oregon State Beavers football team

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Oregon St	3	0	2	7	12
• Minnesota	6	20	9	7	42

• Date: September 26
• Location: Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis, Minnesota

Scoring summary

1		MINN	Carroll 1 yard pass from Hohensee (kick failed)	Minnesota 6-0
1		ORST	Mangold 52 yard field goal	Minnesota 6-3
2		MINN	Curtis 8 yard pass from Hohensee (Gallery kick)	Minnesota 13-3
2		MINN	Curtis 14 yard pass from Hohensee (Gallery kick)	Minnesota 20-3
2		MINN	Cooper 38 yard pass from Hohensee (kick failed)	Minnesota 26-3
3		MINN	Gallery 28 yard field goal	Minnesota 29-3
3		ORST	Safety, ball snapped out of end zone	Minnesota 29-5
3		MINN	Weckbecker 27 yard pass from Hohensee (kick failed)	Minnesota 35-5
4		MINN	Henry 1 yard run (Gallery kick)	Minnesota 42-5
4		ORST	Terrell 6 yard run (Mangold kick)	Minnesota 42-12

^[19]

Ohio State

See also: 1981 Ohio State Buckeyes football team

Ohio State Buckeyes at Minnesota Golden Gophers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Ohio St	14	7	7	3	31
Minnesota	0	7	14	14	35

at Memorial Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Date: November 7
• Game time: 1:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Clear, 64 °F (18 °C)
• Game attendance: 42,793
• Referee: Glenn Fortin
• Box Score

Game information

First quarter OSU – John Frank 7-yard pass from Art Schlichter (Bob Atha kick), 5:33. Ohio St 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards. OSU – Tim Spencer 73-yard run (Bob Atha kick), 0:00. Ohio St 14–0. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:10. Second quarter MINN – Todd Hallstrom 1-yard pass from Mike Hohensee (Jim Gallery kick), 9:53. Ohio St 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:07. OSU – Tim Spencer 2-yard run (Bob Atha kick), 7:39. Ohio St 21–7. Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 2:14. Third quarter MINN – Jay Carroll 27-yard pass from Mike Hohensee (Jim Gallery kick), 11:25. Ohio St 21–14. Drive: 12 plays, 64 yards, 2:35. MINN – Frank Jacobs 17-yard pass from Mike Hohensee (Jim Gallery kick), 8:34. Tie 21–21. Drive: 4 plays, 36 yards, 1:20. OSU – Art Schlichter 1-yard run (Bob Atha kick), 0:30. Ohio St 28–21. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 3:39. Fourth quarter OSU – Bob Atha 31-yard field goal, 8:18. Ohio St 31–21. Drive: 4 plays, 27 yards, 1:13. MINN – Jay Carroll 18-yard pass from Mike Hohensee (Jim Gallery kick), 6:56. Ohio St 31–28. Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 1:23. MINN – Jay Carroll 28-yard pass from Mike Hohensee (Jim Gallery kick), 2:38. Minnesota 35–31. Drive: 5 plays, 40 yards, 1:03 Top passers OSU – Art Schlichter – 13/33, 169 yards, TD, INT MINN – Mike Hohensee – 37/67, 444 yards, 5 TD, INT Top rushers OSU – Tim Spencer – 16 rushes, 135 yards, 2 TD MINN – Tony Hunter – 6 rushes, 19 yards Top receivers OSU – Gary Williams – 4 receptions, 72 yards MINN – Chester Cooper – 12 receptions, 182 yards

Wisconsin

Wisconsin Badgers (6–4) at Minnesota Golden Gophers (6–4)

Quarter	1	2	Total
Wisconsin			0
Minnesota			0

at Memorial Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Date: November 21, 1981
• Game attendance: 47,125
• ^[20]

The loss overshadowed a record-setting day for Mike Hohensee and Chester Cooper. Hohensee set the single season school records for completions and passing yardage while Chester Cooper broke the single season school record for receiving yardage.^[21]

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Wisconsin	Passing	Jess Cole	6/17, 84 Yds
	Rushing
	Receiving
Minnesota	Passing	Mike Hohensee	17/34, 254 Yds, TD
	Rushing
	Receiving	Chester Cooper	6 Rec, 123 Yds, TD

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP WISC MINN 4 Minnesota Chester Cooper 4-yard touchdown reception from Mike Hohensee, Jim Gallery kick good 20 21 4 1:05 Wisconsin Michael Jones 7-yard touchdown reception from Randy Wright, 2-point 26 21 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 26 21

Personnel

1981 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class TE 83 Jay Carroll So WR 43 Chester Cooper Sr OT 78 Ken Dallafior Sr OL Todd Hallstrom QB 9 Mike Hohensee Jr RB Tony Hunter RB 40 Frank Jacobs C 53 Randy Rasmussen Jr QB 10 Tim Salem So WR 19 Ron Weckbacher Sr	Defense Pos. # Name Class DT 71 Kurt Bankson Sr DT 74 Karl Mecklenburg Jr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class K 21 Jim Gallery So	Head coach Joe Salem Coordinators/assistant coaches Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster