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1961 Susquehanna Crusaders football team

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1961 Susquehanna Crusaders football
MAC Northern College Division champion
ConferenceMiddle Atlantic Conference
DivisionNorthern College Division
Record8–0–1 (6–0 MAC)
Head coach
CaptainBen DiFrancesco
Home stadiumUniversity Field
Seasons
← 1960
1962 →
1961 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
University Division
No. 15 Rutgers x 4 – 0 – 0 9 – 0 – 0
Bucknell 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Delaware 3 – 2 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
No. 6 Lehigh 3 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Gettysburg 2 – 2 – 1 3 – 5 – 1
Temple 1 – 2 – 2 2 – 5 – 2
Lafayette 1 – 5 – 1 2 – 6 – 1
Muhlenberg 0 – 4 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Northern College Division
Susquehanna x 6 – 0 – 0 8 – 0 – 1
Albright 4 – 0 – 1 7 – 0 – 1
Moravian 4 – 1 – 1 4 – 3 – 1
Wagner 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Lycoming 1 – 3 – 1 1 – 6 – 1
Wilkes 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 6 – 0
Hofstra * 2 – 0 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Juniata * 1 – 2 – 0 3 – 4 – 0
Upsala * 0 – 4 – 0 0 – 7 – 0
Southern College Division
Lebanon Valley x 5 – 1 – 0 6 – 1 – 0
Swarthmore 4 – 2 – 0 5 – 2 – 0
Western Maryland 4 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Dickinson 5 – 3 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Pennsylvania Military 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Johns Hopkins 2 – 3 – 1 3 – 4 – 1
Ursinus 2 – 5 – 0 2 – 5 – 0
Drexel 1 – 5 – 1 2 – 5 – 1
Haverford 0 – 6 – 1 0 – 6 – 1
West Chester * 0 – 0 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Franklin & Marshall * 0 – 3 – 0 1 – 7 – 0
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • * – Ineligible for championship due to insufficient conference games
Rankings from major college AP poll for Rutgers and small college AP poll for Lehigh

The 1961 Susquehanna Crusaders football team was an American football team that represented Susquehanna University as a member of the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) during the 1961 college football season. In their second season under head coach Jim Garrett, the Crusaders compiled an 8–0–1 record (6–0 in conference games), won the MAC Northern College Division championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 224 to 71. The season was part of a 22-game unbeaten streak that began on October 22, 1960, and ended on September 21, 1963.[1]

Two Susquehanna players received first-team honors on the 1961 MAC Southern College Division all-star team. The honorees were senior guard and team captain Ben DiFrancesco and sophomore fullback Larry Kerstetter.[2] Di Francesco was also selected by the Associated Press as a second-team player on the 1961 All-Pennsylvania football team.[3]

Schedule

[edit]
DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 23vs. Lycoming
W 7–0
September 30at UrsinusCollegeville, PAW 28–6
October 7Swarthmore
W 34–124,000[4]
October 14at WagnerStaten Island, NYW 28–242,500[5]
October 21Western Marylanddagger
  • University Field
  • Selinsgrove, PA
W 34–83,000[6]
October 28at Delaware Valley*
W 30–02,200[7]
November 4Oberlin*
  • University Field
  • Selinsgrove, PA
T 7–73,000[8]
November 11Hobart*
  • University Field
  • Selinsgrove, PA
W 35–6[9]
November 18Wilkes
  • Selingrove HS Field
  • Selinsgrove, PA
W 21–8[10]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming

[11]

Statistics

[edit]

Susquehanna tallied 2,781 yards of total offense (309 yards per game), consisting of 2,376 rushing yards (264 yards per game) and 405 passing yards (45 yards per game). On defense, the team gave up 1,363 yards by opponents (151.4 yards per game) with 726 rushing yards (80.7 yards per game) and 637 passing yards (70.8 yards per game).[11]

The team's individual statistical leaders included fullback Larry Kerstetter with 610 rushing yards and 62 points scored (nine touchdowns and four catches for two-point conversions); quarterback Don Green with 915 yards of total offense and 395 passing yards; end Ken Hauser with 11 receptions for 135 yards.[11]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Susquehanna Yearly Results". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on 2015-09-06. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  2. ^ "S.U. Stars Get All-Star Berths". Sunbury Daily Item. December 14, 1961. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Vignali First Team Repeater". The Evening Standard. December 11, 1961. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Crusaders Triumph, Remain Undefeated". The Selinsgrove Times-Tribune. October 12, 1961. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Unbeaten S. U. Wins 4th In Row: S. U. Edges Wagner, 28-24". Subury Daily Item. October 16, 1961. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "9th Win in a Row for Susquehanna Eleven". The Selinsgrove Times-Tribune. October 26, 1961. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Crusaders Stay Unbeaten: Crusaders (6-0) Shellack Delaware Valley Foe, 30-0". Sunbury Daily Item. October 30, 1961. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "S.U., Oberlin Battle To 7-7 Tie On Muddy Terrain". The Daily Item. November 6, 1961. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Unbeaten SU Plays Here vs. Wilkes On Saturday Night". The Selinsgrove Times-Tribune. November 16, 1961. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Susquehanna Winds Up Undefeated Season with 8th Win; Gridders Relax with Remote Possibility of Bowl Bid". The Selinsgrove Times-Tribune. November 23, 1961. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ a b c "Brief Summary of Cumulative Football Statistics [Susquehanna]". Retrieved August 4, 2024.
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