The theme from the motion picture “Endless Love” and “Bette Davis Eyes” dueled for the No. 1 spot on the pop music charts. “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “On Golden Pond” did the same at the movie theater.

Work stoppages by major league baseball players and air traffic controllers had some of us worried about our summer entertainment. On an even more sobering note, President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II survived assassination attempts.

And Mark Harriman was merely beginning his life’s journey as a football coach, having graduated from Springfield College only a year earlier.

It was 1981, and if it seems like the Dark Ages to you, well, the average person associated with the Bates College football program would say you have no idea.

Bates (4-3) hosts Hamilton (1-6) at noon Saturday in a NESCAC season finale at Garcelon Field. That 31-year drought without a winning season hangs in the balance.

REMEMBER WHEN

The ’81 season capped a four-year run at the start of coach Web Harrison’s tenure in which the Bobcats were a solid 20-12, a .625 winning percentage.

Bates was so good that it merited mention in the poll for the Lambert Trophy, presented annually to the top northeast school in each college football division.

Quarterback/punter Dick Lagg and All-American wide receiver Larry DiGiammarino led the Bobcats.

Running backs Peter McEvilly and Dave Carter ran behind an offensive line anchored by tackle Rich Munson. Middle linebacker Al Mandrafino directed the defense, with Chris Flaherty and John Petrosky headlining the secondary.

The Bobcats dipped to .500 at 4-4 in 1982 before averaging fewer than two wins in Harrison’s final nine seasons.

And the trend worsened in the 1990s, when at one point Bates lost 37 consecutive games. Years later, an ESPN.com feature declared Bates the sixth worst college football program of all time for its run from 1990 to 1998.

Harriman arrived in ’98 and the program has been solid, if not always spectacular, ever since. Bates returned to the .500 threshold in his second season.

Saturday’s 14-6 win at Bowdoin gave the Bobcats their third outright CBB title in Harriman’s 15 years.

ONE FINAL DETAIL

Bates will have a measure of revenge on its mind against Hamilton. The Continentals denied the Bobcats a .500 season in 2011 with a 28-15 defeat.

Jordan Eck threw three touchdowns for Hamilton. This year he’ll face a Bates defense that is among the best in the nation at creating turnovers. The Bobcats rank in the top five in Division III in turnover margin per game (second) and interceptions per game (fourth).

Matt Gaither is the linchpin of Bates defensive line. He had three tackles for less against Bowdoin. Josh Chronopoulos and John Durkin lead the linebacker corps. Andrew Kukesh has five interceptions to pace the Bobcats.

Offensively, the Bobcats are No. 1 in NESCAC in third down conversions and red zone efficiency, a credit to their triple option.

Senior quarterback Trevor Smith has accounted for more than 1,200 combined rushing and passing yards.

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