1961 Colorado Buffaloes football team

1961 Colorado Buffaloes football
Big 8 champion
Orange Bowl, L 7–25 vs. LSU
ConferenceBig Eight Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 7
APNo. 7
Record9–2 (7–0 Big 8)
Head coach
MVPJoe Romig
CaptainJoe Romig
Home stadiumFolsom Field
Seasons
← 1960
1962 →
1961 Big Eight Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 7 Colorado $ 7 – 0 – 0 9 – 2 – 0
No. 11 Missouri 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 1
Kansas 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 1
Oklahoma 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Iowa State 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Oklahoma State 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Nebraska 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 1
Kansas State 0 – 7 – 0 2 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1961 Colorado Buffaloes football team was an American football team that represented the University of Colorado, now known as the University of Colorado Boulder, as a member of the Big Eight Conference (Big 8) during the 1961 college football season. In their third and final year under head coach Sonny Grandelius, the Buffaloes compiled a 9–2 record (7–0 in conference games), won the Big 8 championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 184 to 104.

Colorado defeated both Oklahoma and Nebraska on the road and defeated No. 10 Missouri at home. Their only loss in the regular season was to Utah. The Buffaloes were ranked No. 7 in the final AP writers and UPI coaches polls and concluded their season with a 25–7 loss to No. 4 LSU in the Orange Bowl on New Year's Day.

The team included several notable players including:

  • Guard and team captain Joe Romig was the team captain, a consensus first-team All-American, and the winner of the 1961 UPI Lineman of the Year award and Knute Rockne Memorial Trophy. The Buffaloes also retired Romig's jersey (No. 67).
  • End Jerry Hillebrand also received first-team All-America honors and was the No. 2 scorer in the Big 8 with 49 points.
  • Quarterback Gale Weidner set multiple school records during the 1961 season, including most career yards of total offense (3,091) and most career passing yardage (3,033).

The team played its home games on campus at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado.

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 30Oklahoma State
W 24–040,000[1]
October 7Kansas
  • Folsom Field
  • Boulder, CO
W 20–1942,700[2]
October 13at Miami (FL)*
W 9–740,393–40,397[3]
October 21at Kansas StateNo. 9
W 13–012,500[4]
October 28at OklahomaNo. 10
W 22–1445,117[5]
November 4No. 10 MissouridaggerNo. 8
  • Folsom Field
  • Boulder, CO
W 7–643,000[6]
November 11Utah*No. 8
L 12–2125,000
November 18at NebraskaNo. 8
W 7–026,000–28,108[7]
November 25Iowa StateNo. 7
  • Folsom Field
  • Boulder, CO
W 34–030,399[8]
December 2Air Force*No. 7
  • Folsom Field
  • Boulder, CO
W 29–1223,287[9]
January 1, 1962vs. No. 4 LSU*No. 7
ABCL 7–2562,391[10]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[11][12][13]

Statistics

During their 10-game regular season, the Buffaloes gained 3,101 yards of total offense, including 1,182 passing yards.[14]

Quarterback Gale Weidner completed 74 of 162 passes (45.7%) for 1,101 yards, eight touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.[15] During the 1961 season, Weidner set five University of Colorado records: most career yards of total offense (3,091); most career pass completions (219); most career passing yardage (3,033); most career touchdown passes (18); and most single-season touchdown passes (8).[16]

The team's rushing leaders were Ted Woods (525 yards, 107 carries, 4.9-yard average), Loren Schweninger (512 yards, 122 carries, 4.2-yard average), Bill Harris (434 yards, 82 carries, 5.3-yard average), and Larry Mavity (183 yards, 38 carries, 4.8-yard average).[15]

Jerry Hillebrand and Ken Blair ranked second and third in receiving in the Big 8. Hillebrand caught 15 for 323 yards, and Blair caught 10 for 263 yards.[14]

Hillebrand was the No. 2 scorer in the Big 8 with 49 points.[14]

Leon Mavity led the conference in punt return average, returning 10 punts for 130 yards, an average of 13.0 yards per return.[14]

Awards and honors

Senior guard Joe Romig also played linebacker on defense and was the team captain.[17] After the season, Romig received multiple awards and honors:

End Jerry Hillebrand received first-team All-America honors from the Associated Press (AP) and Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).[19][20]

Six Colorado players were recognized by the AP and/or the United Press International (UPI) on the 1961 All-Big Eight Conference football team: Romig (AP-1, UPI-1), Hillebrand (AP-1, UPI-1), center Walter Klinker (AP-1, UPI-1); quarterback Gale Weidner (AP-2, UPI-1), fullback Loren Schweninger (AP-2); and end Ken Blair (AP-2).[21][22] Romig was also the team captain.

Personnel

Players

  • Ken Blair (#87), end, junior, 6'1", 201 pounds
  • Ed Coleman (#31), halfback, junior, 5'11", 180 pounds
  • John Denvir (#72), tackle, senior, 6'2", 236 pounds
  • Bill Frank (#76), tackle, sophomore, 6'4", 235 pounds
  • Dan Grimm (#77), tackle, junior, 6'3", 229 pounds
  • Bill Harris (#33), halfback, sophomore, 6'2", 210 pounds
  • Ralph Heck (#51), guard, junior, 6'1", 211 pounds
  • Jerry Hillebrand (#82), end, senior, 6'4", 235 pounds
  • Walt Klinker (#67), center, senior, 6'0", 202 pounds
  • Leon Mavity (#27), halfback, sophomore, 5'10", 179 pounds
  • Chuck McBride (#88), end, senior, 6'1" 203 pounds
  • Noble Milton (#32), fullback, sophomore, 6'0", 195 pounds
  • Frank Montera (#11), quarterback, senior, 5'11", 180 pounds
  • Jim Perkins (#74), tackle, senior, 6'5", 239 pounds
  • Joe Romig (#67), guard and linebacker, senior, 5'10", 196 pounds
  • Loren Schweninger (#31), fullback, senior, 6'0", 195 pounds
  • Ted Somerville (#41), halfback, sophomore, 5'10", 181 pounds
  • Gale Weidner (#10), quarterback, senior, 6'1", 184 pounds
  • Ted Woods (#35), halfback, senior, 6'0", 196 pounds

[23][24][25][26]

Coaching staff

  • Sonny Grandelius (head coach)
  • Hohn Polonchek (assistant head coach)
  • Chuck Boerio (linebackers)[27]
  • Bob Ghilotti (ends)[27]
  • Buck Nystrom (line)

Recruiting controversy

In March 1962, Grandelius was fired by the university regents for recruiting violations, primarily due to the operation of a slush fund for players and families.[28][29] Ten days later, alumni director Bud Davis was hired as the interim head coach;[30][31][32][33][34] he had no collegiate coaching experience, just five years as a high school head coach.[30][32][33] A month later, the NCAA put Colorado's football program on probation for two years; because the university began the investigation and took action, the penalties were relatively light.[35][36][37]

References

  1. ^ Frank Pitman (October 1, 1961). "Buffaloes Bomb Oklags on 2 Touchdown Aerials, 24-0". Fort Collins Coloradoan. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.(attendance reported for the Oklahoma State game included 8,000 Band Day guests)
  2. ^ Frank Pitman (October 8, 1961). "Colorado Stages Tremendous Rally To Turn Back Jayhawkers 20-19". The Daily Sentinel. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Luther Evans (October 14, 1961). "Colorado Stands Off Hurricanes' Tardy Comeback Bid to Escape with 9-7 Verdict". The Miami Herald. pp. 19A, 21A – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Buffs win humbly, 56-14". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. November 20, 1988. p. 5B.
  5. ^ "Colorado Defeats Oklahoma, 22-14". Fort Collins Coloradoan. October 29, 1961. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Dave Lipman (November 5, 1961). "Missouri Gamble Fails, Colorado Wins, 7-6". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. pp. 1F, 6F – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Don Bryant (November 19, 1961). "Bowl-Hungry Buffs Eat Up Nebraska, 7-0: Huskers Get No First Downs on Muddy Turf". Sunday Journal and Star (Lincoln, NE). p. 1D – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Colorado Rips Iowa State, Accepts Orange Bowl Bid". Fort Collins Coloradoan. November 26, 1961. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Colorado zooms into Orange Bowl". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. December 3, 1961. p. 3, sports.
  10. ^ Jimmy Burns (January 2, 1962). "62,391 Watch in the Rain: LSU Mist-ifies Colorado, 25-7; Big 7 Champions Are Outclassed By Tiger Attack". The Miami Herald. pp. 1A, 2A – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "1961 Colorado Buffaloes Schedule and Results". College Football @ Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  12. ^ "1961 Football Schedule". University of Colorado Boulder. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  13. ^ "Colorado Football 2023 Record Book" (PDF). University of Colorado Boulder. p. 30. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  14. ^ a b c d "CU Captures Big Share of Statistics". Greeley Daily Tribune. December 5, 1961. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ a b "1961 Colorado Buffaloes Stats". S/R College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  16. ^ "Weidner Sets Marks". Fort Collins Coloradoan. December 14, 1961. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Team Captain". Independent Record. Helena, Montana. Associated Press. December 2, 1960. p. 8. Retrieved July 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2016. p. 9. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  19. ^ "CU's Hillebrand on All-America Team". Fort Collins Coloradoan. December 8, 1961. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ Maury White (December 5, 1961). "Davenport's Hillebrand Gains Look All-America". The Des Moines Register. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Bowl Bound Colorado Buffaloes Land 3 On All-Big Eight Team". The Bee: Danville, Virginia. November 28, 1961. p. 3D.
  22. ^ "Colorado Dominates All-Big Eight Team". Warren County Observer. December 6, 1961. p. 23.
  23. ^ "Colorado Probable Starting Lineup". The Oklahoma Daily. October 28, 1961. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ "Colorado Buffaloes". Fremont Tribune. November 16, 1961. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ "The Buffalo Squad". The Norman Transcript. October 27, 1961. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ "Colorado's Roster". Columbia Missourian. November 3, 1961. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ a b "Grandelius' future is hazy and two aides laud action". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. March 19, 1962. p. 11.
  28. ^ "Colorado fires football coach". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 18, 1962. p. 4B.
  29. ^ "Regents fire Buff's coach Grandelius". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. March 18, 1962. p. 1, sports.
  30. ^ a b "Alum chief is Buff coach, players threaten a revolt". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. March 27, 1962. p. 9.
  31. ^ "Alumni leader new Colorado football coach". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. March 28, 1962. p. 8.
  32. ^ a b "Davis named grid coach at Colorado". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 28, 1962. p. 2B.
  33. ^ a b Meakins, Gene (March 28, 1962). "Colorado coach seeks team support". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). UPI. p. B7.
  34. ^ "Colorado Football Media Guide" (PDF). Retrieved January 9, 2007.
  35. ^ "Colorado given a 2-year slap by ruling body". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. April 28, 1962. p. 9.
  36. ^ "NCAA puts Colorado on probation". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. April 28, 1962. p. 1B.
  37. ^ "Colorado put on probation, patted on back". Bend Bulletin. (Oregon). UPI. April 28, 1962. p. 2.