1981 Virginia Cavaliers football team

The 1981 Virginia Cavaliers football team represented the University of Virginia during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Cavaliers were led by sixth-year head coach Dick Bestwick and played their home games at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Virginia. They competed as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference, finishing in last. At the conclusion of a 1–10 campaign, Bestwick was fired.[2] He had a record of 16–49–1 at Virginia.

1981 Virginia Cavaliers football
ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference
Record1–10 (0–6 ACC)
Head coach
CaptainKeith Lee, Todd Kirtley[1]
Home stadiumScott Stadium
Seasons
← 1980
1982 →
1981 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 1 Clemson $ 6 0 0 12 0 0
No. 9 North Carolina 5 1 0 10 2 0
Maryland 4 2 0 4 6 1
Duke 3 3 0 6 5 0
NC State 2 4 0 4 7 0
Wake Forest 1 5 0 4 7 0
Virginia 0 6 0 1 10 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

Schedule

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DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 121:30 p.m.West Virginia*L 18–3234,007[3]
September 187:30 p.m.at Rutgers*L 0–322,816[4]
September 261:30 p.m.Duke
  • Scott Stadium
  • Charlottesville, VA
L 24–2927,523[5]
October 31:00 p.m.at NC StateL 24–3042,200[6]
October 101:00 p.m.at No. 9 ClemsonL 0–2763,000[7]
October 177:00 p.m.at South Carolina*L 3–2156,101[8]
October 241:30 p.m.Wake Forest 
  • Scott Stadium
  • Charlottesville, VA
L 21–2424,222[9]
October 311:30 p.m.VMI*
  • Scott Stadium
  • Charlottesville, VA
W 13–1025,119[10]
November 141:30 p.m.No. 13 North Carolina
L 14–1730,047[11]
November 211:30 p.m.at MarylandL 7–4821,300[12]
November 281:30 p.m.Virginia Tech*
  • Scott Stadium
  • Charlottesville, VA (rivalry)
L 3–2039,027[13]
  • *Non-conference game
  •  Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[14][15]

Roster

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1981 Virginia Cavaliers football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
TE 87 Billy Griggs So
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DT 99 Stuart Anderson Sr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  •   Injured
  •   Redshirt

References

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  1. ^ "2017 Cavalier Football Fact Book" (PDF). Virginia Cavaliers Athletics. p. 122. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 28, 2017. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  2. ^ Asher, Mark; Cohen, Larry (December 1, 1981). "Bestwick Is Fired As Virginia Coach". The Washington Post. p. D1.
  3. ^ "Cavs grounded". The Roanoke Times & World-News. September 13, 1981. Retrieved January 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Kickers give undefeated Rutgers needed lift". The Sunday Record. September 19, 1981. Retrieved January 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Duke squeaks by Virginia". The Daily News Leader. September 27, 1981. Retrieved January 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "State defense holds off late Cavalier rally". The Rocky Mount Telegram. October 4, 1981. Retrieved January 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Clemson blanks UVA, 27–0". The Danville Register. October 11, 1981. Retrieved January 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Gamecocks down Cavs, 21–3". The Sun-News. October 18, 1981. Retrieved January 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Schofield pasing leads Deacons over Cavaliers, 24–21". The Times and Democrat. October 25, 1981. Retrieved January 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Cavs nip VMI for 1st victory". The News and Observer. November 1, 1981. Retrieved February 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Tar Heels sneak past Cavaliers". Greensboro News & Record. November 15, 1981. Retrieved January 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Wysocki, Esiason lead Terps' massacre of Cavs". Durham Morning Herald. November 22, 1981. Retrieved January 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "VPI overpowers Cavaliers, 20–3". Rocky Mount Telegram. November 29, 1981. Retrieved December 16, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "1981 Virginia Cavaliers Schedule and Results". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  15. ^ "All-Time Virginia Box Score Game Statistics". Virginia Cavaliers Official Athletic Site. Retrieved June 5, 2021.