1981 Toledo Rockets football team

The 1981 Toledo Rockets Football Team was an American football team that represented the University of Toledo in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their fifth and final season under head coach Chuck Stobart, the Rockets compiled a 9–3 record (8–1 against MAC opponents), won the MAC championship, outscored all opponents by a combined total of 270 to 170, won the Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship, and defeated San Jose State, 27–25, in the 1981 California Bowl.^[1]

1981 Toledo Rockets football
MAC champion
California Bowl, W 27–25 vs. San Jose State
Conference	Mid-American Conference
Record	9–3 (8–1 MAC)
Head coach	Chuck Stobart (5th season)
Home stadium	Glass Bowl
Seasons ← 1980 1982 →

1981 Mid-American Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Toledo $	8	–	1	–	0			9	–	3	–	0
Miami (OH)	6	–	1	–	1			8	–	2	–	1
Central Michigan	7	–	2	–	0			7	–	4	–	0
Bowling Green	5	–	3	–	1			5	–	5	–	1
Western Michigan	5	–	4	–	0			6	–	5	–	0
Ohio	5	–	4	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Kent State	3	–	6	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
Ball State	2	–	6	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
Northern Illinois	2	–	7	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
Eastern Michigan	0	–	9	–	0			0	–	11	–	0
$ – Conference champion

The team's statistical leaders included Jim Kelso with 975 passing yards, Arnold Smiley with 1,013 rushing yards, and Rodney Achter with 361 receiving yards.^[2]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 12	at Louisville*	Fairgrounds Stadium Louisville, KY	L 6–31	21,226	[3]
September 19	Ball State	Glass Bowl Toledo, OH	W 40–0	19,204	[4]
September 26	at East Carolina*	Ficklen Memorial Stadium Greenville, NC	L 24–28	21,137	[5]
October 3	Ohio	Glass Bowl Glass Bowl	W 21–14		[6]
October 10	at Eastern Michigan	Rynearson Stadium Ypsilanti, MI	W 42–7		[7]
October 17	Central Michigan	Glass Bowl Toledo, OH	W 17–3	20,737	[8]
October 24	at Bowling Green	Doyt Perry Stadium Bowling Green, OH (rivalry)	L 0–38		[9]
October 31	Miami (OH)	Glass Bowl Toledo, OH	W 17–20		[10]
November 7	at Western Michigan	Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo, MI	W 28–14	17,784	[11]
November 14	Kent State	Glass Bowl Toledo, OH	W 17–0		[12]
November 21	at Northern Illinois	Huskie Stadium DeKalb, IL	W 31–0		[13]
December 19	vs. San Jose State*	Bulldog Stadium Fresno, CA (California Bowl)	W 27–25	15,565	[14]
*Non-conference game

After the season

NFL draft

The following Rocket was selected in the 1982 NFL draft following the season.^[15]

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL club
7	177	Jeff Jackson	Defensive end	Los Angeles Raiders