1961 Ole Miss Rebels football team

1961 Ole Miss Rebels football
1961 Ole Miss Rebels football
Cotton Bowl Classic, L 7–12 vs. Texas
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 5
AP	No. 5
Record	9–2 (5–1 SEC)
Head coach	Johnny Vaught (15th season);
Home stadium	Hemingway Stadium; Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium
	Seasons ← 1960 1962 →

1961 Southeastern Conference football standings
v t e	Conf					Overall
Team	W		L		T	W		L		T
No. 1 Alabama +	7	–	0	–	0	11	–	0	–	0
No. 4 LSU +	6	–	0	–	0	10	–	1	–	0
No. 5 Ole Miss	5	–	1	–	0	9	–	2	–	0
No. 13 Georgia Tech	4	–	3	–	0	7	–	4	–	0
Tennessee	4	–	3	–	0	6	–	4	–	0
Florida	3	–	3	–	0	4	–	5	–	1
Auburn	3	–	4	–	0	6	–	4	–	0
Kentucky	2	–	4	–	0	5	–	5	–	0
Georgia	2	–	5	–	0	3	–	7	–	0
Mississippi State	1	–	5	–	0	5	–	5	–	0
Tulane	1	–	5	–	0	2	–	8	–	0
Vanderbilt	1	–	6	–	0	2	–	8	–	0

+ – Conference co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

The 1961 Ole Miss Rebels football team was an American football team that represented the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 1961 college football season. In their 15th year under head coach Johnny Vaught, the Rebels complied an overall record of 9–2, with a conference record of 5–1, and finished third in the SEC. Ole Miss received a berth in the Cotton Bowl, where the Rebels lost to Texas, 12–7. Ole Miss was favored in every game throughout the 1961 season as two–time defending champions.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 23	Arkansas*	No. 9	Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium Jackson, MS (rivalry)	W 16–0	46,000	^[1]
September 30	at Kentucky	No. 2	McLean Stadium Lexington, KY	W 20–6	33,000	^[2]
October 7	Florida State*	No. 2	Hemingway Stadium Oxford, MS	W 33–0	12,000	^[3]
October 14	vs. Houston*	No. 1	Crump Stadium Memphis, TN	W 47–7	15,610	^[4]
October 21	Tulane	No. 2	Memorial Stadium Jackson, MS (rivalry)	W 41–0	40,000	^[5]
October 28	at Vanderbilt	No. 2	Dudley Field Nashville, TN (rivalry)	W 47–0	25,000	^[6]
November 4	at No. 6 LSU	No. 2	Tiger Stadium Baton Rouge, LA (rivalry)	L 7–10	68,000	^[7]
November 11	Chattanooga*	No. 7	Hemingway Stadium Oxford, MS	W 54–0	10,000	^[8]
November 18	vs. Tennessee	No. 6	Crump Stadium Memphis, TN (rivalry)	W 24–10	32,428	^[9]
December 2	at Mississippi State	No. 5	Scott Field Starkville, MS (Egg Bowl)	W 37–7	34,500	^[10]
January 1	vs. No. 3 Texas*	No. 5	Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX (Cotton Bowl Classic)	L 7–12	75,000	^[11]
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game