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1961 Auburn Tigers football team

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1961 Auburn Tigers football
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Record6–4 (3–4 SEC)
Head coach
Home stadiumCliff Hare Stadium
Legion Field
Seasons
← 1960
1962 →
1961 Southeastern Conference football standings
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 Auburn Tigers football team was an American football team that represented Auburn University as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 1961 college football season. In their 11th year under head coach Ralph "Shug" Jordan, the Tigers compiled a 6–4 record (3–4 in conference games), finished in seventh place in the SEC, and outscored opponents by a total of 174 to 137. It was the Tigers' 70th overall and 28th season as a member of the SEC.[1]

The team's statistical leaders included Bobby Hunt (703 passing yards, 1,051 yards of total offense), Larry Rawson (448 rushing yards), and Dave Edwards (372 receiving yards).[2]

The team played five of its home games at Cliff Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama, and two at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama.

Schedule

[edit]
DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 30at Tennessee
W 24–2144,600[3]
October 7Kentucky
L 12–1432,000[4]
October 14Chattanooga*
  • Cliff Hare Stadium
  • Auburn, AL
W 35–722,000[5]
October 21at No. 8 Georgia Tech
L 6–745,376[6]
October 28Clemson*dagger
  • Cliff Hare Stadium
  • Auburn, AL
W 24–1436,000[7]
November 4Wake Forest*
  • Cliff Hare Stadium
  • Auburn, AL
W 21–720,000[8]
November 11Mississippi State
L 10–1135,000[9]
November 18at Georgia
W 10–741,000[10]
November 25Florida
  • Cliff Hare Stadium
  • Auburn, AL (rivalry)
W 32–1533,000[11]
December 2vs. No. 1 Alabama
L 0–3454,000[12]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[13][14]

Statistics

[edit]

The Tigers gained an average of 243.7 yards per game (143.6 rushing, 100.1 passing).[15] On defense, they gave up 144.3 rushing yards and 79.7 passing yards per game.[2]

The offense was led by senior quarterback Bobby Hunt who completed 54 of 118 passes (45.8%) for 703 yards with two touchdowns, eight interceptions, and an 87.8 quarterback rating.[2] Hunt also ranked second in rushing (247 yards) and pass interceptions (three). He led the team with 1,050 yards of total offense; he finished his Auburn career with 2,279 yards of total offense, third best in Auburn history to that date.[15] Hunt and kicking specialist Woody Woodall tied for the team's scoring lead with 36 points each.[15] After the season, head coach Jordan said, "I don't know what we'd have done without [Hunt]."[15]

The rushing defense was led by sophomore fullback Larry Rawson (448 yards, 121 carries, 3.7-yard average), Bobby Hunt (347 yards, 101 carries, 3.4-yard average), Don Machen (187 yards, 38 carries, 4.9-yard average), Jimmy Burson (187 yards, 44 carries, 4.3-yard average), and Larry Laster (187 yards, 44 carries, 4.4-yard average).[2]

The team's leading receivers were Dave Edwards (372 yards, 25 receptions) and Bobby Foret (131 yards, 10 receptions).[2]

Bo Davis was the team's punter, kicking 55 times for 2,034 yards, an average of 36.9 yards per punt.[15]

Awards and honors

[edit]

Four Auburn players were recognized by the Associated Press (AP) or United Press International (UPI) on the 1961 All-SEC football team: end Dave Edwards (AP-1, UPI-1); halfback Bobby Hunt (UPI-3); center Wayne Frazier (AP-3); and tackle Billy Wilson (UPI-3).[16][17]

Personnel

[edit]

Players

[edit]
  • Joe Baughan (#76), guard, junior, 6'3", 225 pounds, Bessemer, AL
  • Jimmy Burson (#22), halfback, junior, 5'10", 178 pounds, LaGrange, GA
  • Bo Davis, punter
  • Don Downs (#88), end, junior, 6'0", 200 pounds, Birmingham, AL
  • Dave Edwards (#80), end, senior, 6'1", 198 pounds, Abbeyville, AL
  • Bobby Foret (#85), end, senior, 6'1", 198 pounds, New Orleans, LA
  • Wayne Frazier (#51), center, senior, 6'2", 230 pounds, Evergreen, AL
  • Winky Giddens (#79), tackle, junior, 6'2", 225 pounds, Childersburg, AL
  • George Gross
  • Bobby Hunt (#12), quarterback, senior, 6'1, 180 pounds, Lanett, AL
  • Mailon Kent (#15), quarterback, sophomore, 6'2", 185 pounds, Birmingham, AL
  • Larry Laster (#35), fullback, junior, 5'11", 195 pounds, Covington, GA
  • Don Machen (#23), halfback, senior, 5'9", 150 pounds, Sylacauga, AL
  • John McGeever (#36), halfback, senior, 6'0", 195 pounds, Birmingham, AL
  • Joe Overton (#16), quarterback, junior, 6'2", 190 pounds, Greenville, MS
  • Jim Price (#58), center, junior, 6'3", 225 pounds, Birmingham, AL
  • Jimmy Putnam (#65), guard, senior, 6'0", 200 pounds, Birmingham, AL
  • Larry Rawson (#30), fullback, sophomore, 6'0", 202 pounds, Pensacola, FL
  • Billy Wilson (#78), tackle, senior, 6'2", 250 pounds, Birmingham, AL
  • Woody Woodall, kicking specialist

[18]

Coaches

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "1961 Auburn Tigers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e "1961 Auburn Tigers Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  3. ^ "Auburn fielder sinks Vols". The Tennessean. October 1, 1961. Retrieved April 13, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Kentucky smacks Auburn by 14–12". The Huntsville Times. October 8, 1960. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Auburn rolls over Mocs". The Montgomery Advertiser. October 15, 1961. Retrieved September 10, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Auburn gamble fails as Tech gains 7 to 6 victory". The Decatur Daily. October 22, 1961. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Tigers bounce back on Hunt's passes, top Clemson". The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. October 29, 1961. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Auburn defeats Wake Forest 21–7". Greensboro Daily News. November 5, 1961. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Gambling State nips Tigers, 11–10". The Birmingham News. November 12, 1961. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Hunt triggers Tiger win over Dogs, 10–7". The Macon Telegraph & News. November 19, 1961. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Auburn wins wiers tilt from Florida by 32–15". The Selma Times-Journal. November 26, 1961. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Tide rips Auburn 34–0 in final bid for No. 1". The Huntsville Times. December 3, 1961. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ 2009 Auburn Football Media Guide (PDF). Auburn, Alabama: Auburn Media Relations Office. 2009. p. 188. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 6, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  14. ^ "1961–1962 Auburn University Football Schedule". Auburn University Athletics. Archived from the original on September 1, 2012. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  15. ^ a b c d e "Hunt And Rawson Offensive Leaders". Birmingham Post-Herald. December 7, 1961. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ Vernon Butler (December 6, 1961). "Trammell, Watson Head AP All-SEC". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 41 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Four Tiders Selected For UPI All-SEC Team: Tech Guard Dave Watson Only Jacket on Dream Team". The Atlanta Constitution. November 30, 1961. p. 37 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ a b "Football 1961". Auburn Tigers. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
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