11 games
| Date | Site | Opp AP | Opponent | UL AP | W/L | UL | Opp | OT | Overall | Conf | Attendance | City | State | Stadium | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09/05/1981 | A | 19 | Florida State | L | 0 | 17 | 0-1 | 50,735 | Tallahassee | Fla. | Doak Campbell Stadium | ||||
| 09/12/1981 | H | Toledo | W | 31 | 6 | 1-1 | 21,226 | Louisville | Ky. | Fairgrounds Stadium | |||||
| 09/19/1981 | H | Long Beach State | W | 35 | 13 | 2-1 | 23,424 | Louisville | Ky. | Fairgrounds Stadium | |||||
| 09/26/1981 | A | Missouri | L | 3 | 34 | 2-2 | 57,448 | Columbia | Mo. | Faurot Stadium | |||||
| 10/03/1981 | H | Marshall | W | 36 | 0 | 3-2 | 20,745 | Louisville | Ky. | Fairgrounds Stadium | |||||
| 10/10/1981 | A | Memphis | W | 14 | 7 | 4-2 | 24,286 | Memphis | Tenn. | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium | |||||
| 10/17/1981 | H | Tennessee State | L | 30 | 42 | 4-3 | 28,136 | Louisville | Ky. | Fairgrounds Stadium | |||||
| 10/24/1981 | A | Oklahoma State | L | 11 | 19 | 4-4 | 44,000 | Stillwater | Okla. | Lewis Field | |||||
| 11/07/1981 | H | Louisiana-Monroe | L | 7 | 40 | 4-5 | 15,094 | Louisville | Ky. | Fairgrounds Stadium | |||||
| 11/14/1981 | A | Cincinnati | L | 0 | 24 | 4-6 | 15,617 | Cincinnati | Ohio | Nippert Stadium | |||||
| 11/21/1981 | H | 9 | Southern Mississippi | W | 13 | 10 | 5-6 | 12,940 | Louisville | Ky. | Fairgrounds Stadium |