1981 UNLV Rebels football team

1981 UNLV Rebels football
ConferenceIndependent
Record6–6
Head coach
Home stadiumLas Vegas Silver Bowl
Seasons
← 1980
1982 →
1981 NCAA Division I-A independents football records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 4 Pittsburgh       11 1 0
No. 3 Penn State       10 2 0
No. 8 Miami (FL)       9 2 0
Southern Miss       9 2 1
No. 17 West Virginia       9 3 0
Colgate       7 3 0
Virginia Tech       7 4 0
Navy       7 4 1
Cincinnati       6 5 0
Florida State       6 5 0
Holy Cross       6 5 0
Tulane       6 5 0
UNLV       6 6 0
South Carolina       6 6 0
Temple       5 5 0
Boston College       5 6 0
East Carolina       5 6 0
Northeast Louisiana       5 6 0
Louisville       5 6 0
Notre Dame       5 6 0
Rutgers       5 6 0
William & Mary       5 6 0
Syracuse       4 6 1
Richmond       4 7 0
Army       3 7 1
North Texas State       2 9 0
Georgia Tech       1 10 0
Memphis State       1 10 0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1981 UNLV Rebels football team was an American football team that represented the University of Nevada, Las Vegas as an independent during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their sixth and final year under head coach Tony Knap, the team compiled a 6–6 record.[1][2]

A notable win was the road victory over eighth-ranked BYU in October, who were without starting quarterback Jim McMahon, replaced by sophomore Steve Young.[3]

Approaching age 67, Knap retired after the season,[4] and was succeeded by Harvey Hyde, the head coach at Pasadena City College.[5][6]

  1. ^ "1981 UNLV Rebels Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  2. ^ "UNLV 2020 Football Guide" (PDF). University of Nevada, Las Vegas. 2020. p. 130. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  3. ^ "Vegas shocks BYU, 45-41". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire service reports. October 11, 1981. p. 6B.
  4. ^ "Knap resigns at UNLV, plans to grow apples". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 24, 1981. p. 3C.
  5. ^ "Pasadena City College Coach Harvey Hyde, 42, who guided..." UPI.com. (UPI archives). December 7, 1981. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  6. ^ "Transactions: college". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). December 8, 1981. p. 28.