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1961 Texas Longhorns football team

American college football season

Field	Value
year	1961
team	Texas Longhorns
sport	football
image	Darrell Royal with 1961 captains Talbert and Cotten.png
image_size	190px
caption	Darrell Royal (center) with co-captains Don Talbert (left) and Mike Cotten (right)
conference	Southwest Conference
short_conf	SWC
CoachRank	4
APRank	3
record	10–1
conf_record	6–1
head_coach	Darrell Royal
hc_year	5th
stadium	Memorial Stadium
champion	SWC co-champion
Cotton Bowl Classic champion
bowl	[Cotton Bowl Classic](1962-cotton-bowl-classic)
bowl_result	W 12–7 vs. [Ole Miss](1961-ole-miss-rebels-football-team)

Cotton Bowl Classic champion The 1961 Texas Longhorns football team was an American football team that represented the University of Texas (now known as the University of Texas at Austin) as a member of the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1961 college football season. In their fifth year under head coach Darrell Royal, the Longhorns compiled a 10–1 record (6–1 in conference games) and tied with Arkansas for the SWC championship. The Longhorns defeated Arkansas (33–7) and Oklahoma (28–7), and were ranked No. 1 until they lost, 6–0, to unranked TCU on November 18. At the end of the regular season, the Longhorns were ranked No. 3 in the final AP poll and No. 4 in the final UPI poll. They concluded their season with a victory over No. 5 Ole Miss in the Cotton Bowl Classic.

Texas outscored all opponents by a total of 291 to 59. They were ranked fourth nationally in total offense (383.1 yards per game) and seventh nationally in total defense (176.1 yards per game). Consensus All-American Jimmy Saxton led the team with 846 rushing yards (7.9 yards per carry) and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting. Tackle Don Talbert also received first-team All-American honors, and Darrell Royal was selected by the Football Writers Association of America as the 1961 "Coach of the Year".

The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas.

Schedule

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Game summaries

TCU

First quarter

No scoring Second quarter
TCU – Buddy Iles 50-yard pass from Sonny Gibbs (kick failed), 9:20. ''TCU 6–0. '''Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:51.''''' Third quarter
No scoring Fourth quarter
No scoring ;Top passers
TCU
UT – Mike Cotten – 3/6, 62 yards, INT ;Top rushers
TCU
UT – Jimmy Saxton – 17 rushes, 85 yards ;Top receivers
TCU
UT – Jimmy Saxton – 1 reception, 45 yards

Statistics

Texas ranked fourth nationally in total offense, tallying 3,821 yards in ten regular-season games, an average of 383.1 yards per game. On defense, the Longhorns ranked seventh nationally, giving up 1,761 yards, an average of 176.1 yards per game.

Texas had four of the top ten rushers in the Southwest Conference during the 1961 season. Jimmy Saxton led the conference with 846 yards on 107 carries for an average of 7.9 yards per carry. Jerry Cook ranked second in the conference with 527 yards on 96 carries (5.5-yard average). Tommy Ford ranked seventh with 415 yards on 83 carries (5.0-yard average). Ray Poage ranked ninth with 383 yards on 77 carries (5.1-yard average).

Jimmy Saxton was also the team's total offense leader. Adding 46 passing yards to his 8846 rushing yards, he finished the regular season with 892 yards of total offense.

Quarterback Mike Cotten led the Longhorns in passing, completing 44 of 77 passes (.574 completion percentage) for 500 yards with two interceptions and seven touchdown passes.

End Bob Moses was the team's leading receiver, tallying 14 catches for 177 yards (12.6 yards per catch) and five touchdowns.

Awards and honors

Head coach Darrell Royal was selected by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) as the 1961 "Coach of the Year".

Halfback Jimmy Saxton received numerous honors and awards following the 1961 season, including

Saxton was a consensus pick on the 1961 All-America college football team, having received first-team honors from the Associated Press (AP), United Press International (UPI), American Football Coaches Association, and FWAA, among others.
Saxton finished third in the voting for the 1961 Heisman Trophy, receiving 81 first-place votes and 551 points. His total yardage (846) and average yards per carry (7.9) were both higher than the Heisman winner Ernie Davis.
Saxton was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated on November 27, 1961, with the headline "Football's Fanciest Runner"
Saxton was voted by his teammates as the most valuable player on the 1961 Texas team.
Saxton was selected by the Texas Sports Writers Association as the top amateur athlete of 1961.
Saxton was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996.

Tackle Don Talbert was selected by the FWAA as a first-team All-American.

Six Texas players received first-team honors from the AP or the UPI on the 1961 All-Southwest Conference football team: Saxton (AP-1, UPI-1); Talbert (AP-1, UPI-1); quarterback Mike Cotten (AP-1, UPI-1); end Bob Moses (AP-1, UPI-1); guard Johnny Treadwell (AP-1, UPI-2); and center David Kristynik (UPI-1). Fullback Ray Poage received second-team honors from the UPI.

Mike Cotten and Bob Moses were named the most valuable players of the Cotton Bowl.

Personnel

Players

The following 37 players received varsity letters for their roles on the 1961 Texas team:

Scott Appleton (#70), tackle, sophomore
George Bass (#68), guard, sophomore
Clarence V. Bray (#53), sophomore
George Brucks (#66), guard, sophomore
Duke Carlisle (#11), quarterback, sophomore
Jack Collins (#49), wingback, senior, 195 pounds
Jerry Cook (#38), junior
John Allen Cook (#38), junior
Mike Cotten (#12), quarterback and co-captain, senior, 189 pounds
Pat Culpepper (#31), linebacker, junior
Staley Faulkner (#77), tackle, sophomore
Ken Ferguson (#78), tackle, sophomore
Tommy Ford (#24), sophomore, fullback, 185 pounds
Bobby Gamblin (#65), guard, sophomore
Johnny Genung (#14), quarterback, junior
Deene Gott (#87), end, senior
James Hejl, center, senior
Ben House (#83), end, sophomore
David Kristynik (#64), center, senior, 203 pounds
Marvin Kubin (#55), guard, junior, 198 pounds
Tommy Ray Lucas (#80), end, junior, 195 pounds
David McWilliams (#50), center/linebacker, sophomore
Perry McWilliams (#61), center, junior
Eldon Moritz (#23), kicking specialist, senior
Bob Moses (#88), end, senior, 195 pounds
Bobby Nunis (#36), wingback, junior
Derrell M. Oliver (#25), fullback, sophomore
Eddie Padgett (#74), tackle, senior, 205 pounds
Ray Poage (#33), fullback, junior, 201 pounds
Gordon Roberts (#76), tackle, sophomore
David Russell (#40), wingback, senior
Walter Cayce Sands (#85), end, sophomore
Jimmy Saxton (#10), halfback, senior, 5'11", 164 pounds
Charles Talbert (#89), end, sophomore
Don Talbert (#72), tackle and co-captain, senior, 220 pounds
Johnny Treadwell (#60), guard, junior, 200 pounds
Tommy York (#84), end, junior

Coaches and administration

Head coach - Darrell Royal
Assistant coaches - James "T" Jones, Mike Campbell, Bill Ellington, Charles Shira, Bob Schulze, Jim Pittman, Russell Coffee
Athletic director - Edwin Werner Cole
Chairman, Athletic Council - Myron Louis Begeman
Trainer - Frank Edwin Medina

Gallery

File:Mike Cotten (1962 Cactus).png|Quarterback and captain Mike Cotten File:Don Talbert (1962 Cactus).png|All-American tackle and captain Don Talbert File:Bob Moses (1962 Cactus).png|All-SWC end Bob Moses File:David Kristynik.png|All-SWC center David Kristynik File:Johnny Treadwell (1962 Cactus).png|All-SWC guard Johnny Treadwell File:Ray Poage (1962 Cactus).png|All-SWC fullback Ray Poage File:Pat Culpepper (1962 Cactus).png|Linebacker Pat Culpepper File:Tommy Ford (1962 Cactus).png|Back Tommy Ford File:Ben House.png|End Ben House

References

"1961 Texas Longhorns Schedule and Results". Sports Reference LLC.
(September 24, 1961). "Bears ripped; Texas halts Cal 28 to 3 in opener". Oakland Tribune.
(October 1, 1961). "Longhorns slaughter Tech in opener, 42–14". Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
(October 8, 1961). "Saxton spurs Longhorns past Washington State". The Vernon Daily Record.
(October 15, 1961). "Stampeding Steers lower boom on Sooners, 28–7". The Marshall News Messenger.
(October 22, 1961). "Texas socks Hogs, takes SWC lead". The Nashville Tennessean.
(October 29, 1961). "Texas smears Rice, 34–7". The Tyler Courier-Times-Telegraph.
(November 5, 1961). "Saxton puts Texas by SMU". The Victoria Advocate.
(November 12, 1961). "Top-ranked Longhorns hand Baylor 33–7 spanking". The Marshall News Messenger.
(November 19, 1961). "Inspired TCU stuns powerful Texas, 6–0". The Corpus Christi Caller-Times.
(November 24, 1961). "Texas whips Aggies, 25–0; In Cotton Bowl". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
(January 2, 1962). "Longhorn interceptions help kill Rebels, 12–7". The Clarion-Ledger.
(November 29, 1961). "'Bama Eyes Triple Crown As Top Defensive Team". The Waso Times-Herald.
(November 29, 1961). "SWC Statistics". The Waso Times-Herald.
(December 10, 1961). "Longhorns' Darrell Royal Writers 'Coach of Year'". Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
(2016). "Football Award Winners". National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
(December 8, 1961). "Saxton Named On AP's Team". The Austin American.
"1961 Heisman Trophy Voting". Sports Reference LLC.
(1962). "Cactus 1962 (University of Texas yearbook)". Texas Student Publications.
"James Saxton". National Football Foundation.
(December 5, 1961). "FWAA Selections: Saxton and Talbert Among Look Stars". The Austin American.
(December 4, 1961). "Five Steers All-SWC". The Austin American.
(December 1, 1961). "Five Longhorns Make UPI Team: Saxton Unanimous". The Austin American.
Cactus 1962, p. 341.
(September 30, 1961). "Starting Lineups". The Austin American.
Cactus 1962, p. 342.
Cactus 1962, p. 338.
Cactus 1962, p. 339.

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