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| 1981 SCHEDULEOverall 5-6Home 4-2Away 1-4 |
| Date | Opponent / Event | Location | Time / Result | Media | |
| Sat., Sep. 12 | vs. LSU |
Notre Dame, Ind. | W, 27-9 | More | |
| Sat., Sep. 19 | at Michigan |
Ann Arbor, Mich. | L, 25-7 | More | |
| Sat., Sep. 26 | at Purdue |
West Lafayette, Ind. | L, 15-14 | More | |
| Sat., Oct. 3 | vs. Michigan State |
Notre Dame, Ind. | W, 20-7 | More | |
| Sat., Oct. 10 | vs. Florida State |
Notre Dame, Ind. | L, 19-13 | More | |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | vs. USC |
Notre Dame, Ind. | L, 14-7 | More | |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | vs. Navy |
Notre Dame, Ind. | W, 38-0 | More | |
| Sat., Nov. 7 | vs. Georgia Tech |
Notre Dame, Ind. | W, 35-3 | More | |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | at Air Force |
Colorado Springs, Colo. | W, 35-7 | More | |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | at Penn State |
University Park, Pa. | L, 24-21 | More | |
| Fri., Nov. 27 | at Miami |
Miami, Fla. | L, 37-15 | More | |
Schedule Key Home Event Away Event