1961 Fresno State Bulldogs football team

The 1961 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented Fresno State College[note 1] during the 1961 NCAA College Division football season.

1961 Fresno State Bulldogs football
CCAA champion
ConferenceCalifornia Collegiate Athletic Association
Ranking
CoachesNo. 5 (UPI small college)
APNo. 3 (AP small college)
1961 record10–0 (5–0 CCAA)
Head coachCecil Coleman (3rd season)
Home stadiumRatcliffe Stadium
(Capacity: 13,000)
1961 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 3 AP / #5 UPI Fresno State $ 5 –0 –0  10 –0 –0
Cal Poly 3 –2 –0  4 –4 –0
San Diego State 2 –2 –1  7 –2 –1
Los Angeles State 2 –2 –1  4 –4 –1
Long Beach State 2 –3 –0  5 –5 –0
UC Santa Barbara 0 –5 –0  2 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from College Division poll

The team was led by third-year head coach Cecil Coleman and played home games at Ratcliffe Stadium on the campus of Fresno City College in Fresno, California. They finished the season as champions of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) for the fourth consecutive year, with an unbeaten, untied record of ten wins and zero losses (10–0, 5–0 CCAA). This was the seventh conference title in eight years for the Bulldogs.

At the end of the season, Fresno State took part in a charity bowl game, the 1961 Mercy Bowl against Bowling Green. The game was played as a special fundraiser in memory of sixteen Cal Poly San Luis Obispo football players killed in a plane crash following a game against Bowling Green a year earlier.[1]

Schedule
DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendance
September 23at Montana State*
W 16–137,000
September 30UC Santa Barbara
W 22–149,066
October 7at Pacific (CA)[note 2]*
W 20–1910,000
October 14at Cal Poly[note 3]
W 42–136,000
October 21Los Angeles State[note 4]No. 10
  • Ratcliffe Stadium
  • Fresno, CA
W 35–611,151
October 28San Diego State[note 5]No. 6
  • Ratcliffe Stadium
  • Fresno, CA (rivalry)
W 27–6[2]6,595
November 3at Long Beach State[note 6]No. 6
W 37–145,000
November 11Abilene Christian*No. 5
  • Ratcliffe Stadium
  • Fresno, CA
W 21–79,960
November 18San Jose State[note 7]*No. 3
  • Ratcliffe Stadium
  • Fresno, CA (rivalry)
W 36–2714,141
November 23vs. Bowling Green*No. 3
W 36–633,146

[3][4]

Team players in the NFL/AFL

The following were selected in the 1962 NFL Draft.[5][6]

PlayerPositionRoundOverallNFL Team
Jesse WilliamsCenter10138New York Giants
Bill KnockeHalfback17233Baltimore Colts
Sonny BishopGuard18249Cleveland Browns
John AnaboQuarterback19263Cleveland Browns

The following were selected in the 1962 AFL Draft.[5]

PlayerPositionRoundOverallAFL Team
Sonny BishopGuard1188San Diego Chargers
Jesse WilliamsCenter21168San Diego Chargers

Notes
  1. California State University, Fresno was known as Fresno State College from 1949 to 1971.
  2. University of the Pacific (UOP) was known as College of the Pacific from 1911 to 1961.
  3. The official name of Cal Poly has been California Polytechnic State University since 1947. However, it is more commonly known as either Cal Poly San Luis Obispo or just Cal Poly.
  4. California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) was known as Los Angeles State College of Applied Arts and Sciences from 1947 to 1963.
  5. San Diego State University was known as San Diego State College from 1935 to 1971.
  6. California State University, Long Beach was known as Long Beach State College from 1950 to 1963.
  7. San Jose State University was known as San Jose State College from 1935 to 1971.

References
  1. "L.A.'s Last Bowl? 1961 Mercy Bowl". Retrieved January 4, 2017.
  2. Howard Hagen (October 29, 1961). "Fresno's Barrage Rips Aztecs". The San Diego Union. San Diego, California. p. B-1.
  3. "Fresno State 2016 Media Guide" (PDF). Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  4. "Fresno State Yearly Results". Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  5. "1962 NFL Draft". Retrieved December 7, 2016.
  6. "Fresno St. Players/Alumni". Retrieved December 12, 2016.
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