1961 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team

1961 Minnesota Golden Gophers football
Rose Bowl champion
Rose Bowl, W 21–3 vs. UCLA
Conference Big Ten Conference
Ranking
Coaches No. 6
AP No. 6
1961 record 8–2 (6–1 Big Ten)
Head coach Murray Warmath (8th season)
MVP Sandy Stephens
Captain John Mulvena
Home stadium Memorial Stadium
1961 Big Ten football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 2 Ohio State $ 6 –0 –0  8 –0 –1
No. 6 Minnesota 6 –1 –0  8 –2 –0
No. 8 Michigan State 5 –2 –0  7 –2 –0
No. 12 Purdue 4 –2 –0  6 –3 –0
Wisconsin 4 –3 –0  6 –3 –0
Michigan 3 –3 –0  6 –3 –0
Iowa 2 –4 –0  5 –4 –0
Northwestern 2 –4 –0  4 –5 –0
Indiana 0 –6 –0  2 –7 –0
Illinois 0 –7 –0  0 –9 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1961 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the 1961 Big Ten Conference football season. In their eighth year under head coach Murray Warmath, the Golden Gophers were 7–2 in the regular season and won the Rose Bowl, 21–3 over UCLA; Minnesota outscored their opponents 161–78.[1] The Golden Gophers finished sixth in both final polls (Associated Press (AP) writers poll and United Press International (UPI) coaches poll), released in early December, prior to the bowl games.[2][3]

Quarterback Sandy Stephens received the team's most valuable player award, was a consensus first-team All-American, finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting, was named Rose Bowl MVP, and received the Chicago Tribune Silver Football, given to the Big Ten's most valuable player. Tackle Bobby Bell was also named a first-team All-American by the FWAA, AFCA, Sporting News, and Central Press. Fullback Judge Dickson and offensive lineman Jim Wheeler were named Academic All-Big Ten.[4]

Total attendance at six home games was 366,491, an average of 61,081, and the season high was against Purdue on November 18.[5]

Days after the conclusion of the regular season, the faculty council at Ohio State University voted down participation in the Rose Bowl,[6][7][8] and the berth went to Minnesota.[9]

Schedule

Date Opponent# Rank# Site Result Attendance
September 30 Missouri* Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis L 0–6   58,840
October 7 Oregon* Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis W 14–7   50,499
October 14 at Northwestern Dyche Stadium • Evanston, Illinois W 10–3   41,251
October 21 at Illinois Memorial Stadium • Champaign, Illinois W 33–0   52,247
October 28 Michigandagger Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis (Little Brown Jug) W 23–20   63,898
November 4 No. 1 Michigan State Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis W 13–0   59,941
November 11 at Iowa No. 5 Iowa Stadium • Iowa City, Iowa (Rivalry) W 16–9   60,100
November 18 No. 7 Purdue No. 5 Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis W 10–7   67,081
November 25 Wisconsin No. 3 Memorial Stadium • Minneapolis (Rivalry) L 21–23   66,232
January 1 vs. No. 16 UCLA* No. 6 Rose Bowl • Pasadena, California (Rose Bowl) W 21–3   98,214
*Non-conference game. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll.

References

  1. ↑ "1961 Minnesota Golden Gophers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Champion vote goes to Alabama". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. December 5, 1961. p. 2B.
  3. ↑ Joyce, Dick (December 5, 1961). "Alabama No. 1 football team in final UPI poll". Bend Bulletin. Oregon. UPI. p. 3.
  4. ↑ Keiser, Jeff (2007), 2007 Media Guide (PDF), pp. 179–182
  5. ↑ Keiser, Jeff (2007), 2007 Media Guide (PDF), p. 160
  6. ↑ "Buckeyes finally lose, 28-25 in bowl debate". Toledo Blade. Ohio. Associated Press. November 29, 1961. p. 48.
  7. ↑ "Ohio State's rejection of Rose Bowl bid trip triggers sharp comments". Youngstown Vindicator. Ohio. Associated Press. November 29, 1961. p. 60.
  8. ↑ "Ohio State rejects chance to play in Rose Bowl game". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. November 29, 1961. p. 11.
  9. ↑ Stevenson, Jack (December 3, 1961). "Minnesota accepts bid, plays Uclans in Rose tilt". Youngstown Vindicator. Ohio. Associated Press. p. D-1.
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