1961 North Texas State Eagles football team

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1961 North Texas State Eagles football
1961 North Texas Eagles football team.png
1961 North Texas team portrait from The Yucca yearbook
Conference Missouri Valley Conference
Record5–4–1 (1–2 MVC)
Head coach
Home stadium Fouts Field
Seasons
←  1960
1962  →
1961 Missouri Valley Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
Wichita $ 3 –0 –08 –3 –0
North Texas State 1 –2 –05 –4 –1
Cincinnati 1 –2 –03 –7 –0
Tulsa 1 –2 –02 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion

The 1961 North Texas State Eagles football team was an American football team that represented North Texas State University (now known as the University of North Texas) during the 1961 college football season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC). In their 16th year under head coach Odus Mitchell, the Eagles compiled a 5–4–1 record (1–2 in conference games), finished in a three-way tie for second place out of four teams in the MVC, and were outscored by a total of 206 to 162. [1]

Contents

Sophomore halfback Bobby Smith led the team in both rushing (541 yards) and scoring (42 points). Smith and right halfback Billy Christle were among the first African-American players to play for a historically-white Southern football team; both received first-team honors on the 1961 All-Missouri Valley Conference football team.

The team played its home games at Fouts Field in Denton, Texas.

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 23at Hardin–Simmons *
W 9–7 [2]
September 30 BYU *
W 41–308,000 [3]
October 7 New Mexico State *
  • Fouts Field
  • Denton, TX
T 14–148,000 [4]
October 14 Wichita
  • Fouts Field
  • Denton, TX
L 14–26 [5]
October 21 Tulsa
  • Fouts Field
  • Denton, TX
W 23–1215,000 [6]
October 28at Cincinnati
L 9–21 [7]
November 4 Drake *
  • Fouts Field
  • Denton, TX
W 28–215,000–8,000 [8] [9] [10]
November 11at Memphis State *
L 0–416,921 [11]
November 18 Louisville *
  • Fouts Field
  • Denton, TX
L 0–20 [12] [13]
November 25at Texas Western *
W 24–144,000 [14]
  • *Non-conference game

Statistics

The 1961 North Texas team tallied 210.9 rushing yards and 33.5 passing yards per game. On defense, the team allowed opponents an average of 171.7 rushing yards and 118.0 passing yards per game. [15]

Sophomore halfback Bobby Smith led both the team and the MVC with 541 rushing yards on 120 carries for an average of 4.5 yards per carry. [16] Smith also led North Texas State in scoring with 42 points scored on seven touchdowns. [15]

Billy Christle and Bobby Smith receive all-conference honors Billy Christle and Bobby Smith.png
Billy Christle and Bobby Smith receive all-conference honors

Another halfback, Billy Christle, ranked second on the team in rushing with 524 yards on 98 carries for a 5.3-yard average. [15] Smith and Christle were among the early African-Americans to play for North Texas, which became the first racially integrated football program in Texas two years earlier. [17]

Quarterback Billy Ryan completed 20 of 50 passes (40.0%) for 179 passing yards for no touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 62.1 quarterback rating. [15] End Mike Pirkle was the team's leading receiver with 72 receiving yards on four catches. [15]

Awards and honors

Halfbacks Bobby Smith and Billy Christle received first-team honors on the 1961 All-Missouri Valley Conference football team. [18] Tackle Bill Kirbie, guard Billy Weaver, and fullback Arthur Perkins were named to the second team. Tackles Gerry Hawkins and Richard Farris and end Mike Pirkle received honorable mention. [19]

Tackle Bill Kirbie and guard Billy Weaver were selected as the co-captains.

Coaches

Head coach Odus Mitchell won his 100th game in the final game of the 1961 season. His assistant coaches were Fred McCain (backfield), Herb Ferrill (line), and Ken Bahnsen. [20]

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References

  1. ↑ "1961 North Texas Mean Green Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 15, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ "North Texas edges Pokes on FG, 9–7". Abilene Reporter-News. September 24, 1961. Retrieved November 2, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Eagles claw Cougars". The Daily Herald. October 1, 1961. Retrieved November 2, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Aggies, Eagles tie at 14–14: All scoring in first half for deadlock". Las Cruces Sun-News. October 8, 1961. Retrieved November 2, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Wichita tromps North Texas 24–14; Keeps conference lead". Great Bend Tribune. October 15, 1961. Retrieved November 2, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "North Texas jolts Tulsa". The Norman Transcript. October 22, 1961. Retrieved November 2, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Cincinnati trips North Texas, 21–9". The Spokesman-Review. October 29, 1961. Retrieved November 2, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Drake fails, 28–21, after two rallies". The Des Moines Register. November 5, 1961. Retrieved November 2, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Eagles claw Cougars". The Daily Herald. October 1, 1961. Retrieved November 2, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics (Drake)". National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Tigers are back on winning way, Victors by 41–0". The Commercial Appeal. November 11, 1961. Retrieved November 2, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Cardinals clip Eagles by 20–0". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. November 19, 1961. Retrieved November 2, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  14. ↑ "North Texas nips Miners by 24–14". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. November 26, 1961. Retrieved November 2, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 "1961 North Texas Mean Green Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 15, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "Cincy Votes Smith Best Of Opponents". Denton Record-Chronicle. December 6, 1961. p. 1 (section 2) – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ "Fouts Field Tribute". North Texan. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Wichita Dominates All-Missouri Valley Conference Team". Seminole Producer. November 28, 1961. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ The Yucca 1962 (North Texas State University yearbook), p. 172.
  20. ↑ The Yucca 1962 (North Texas State University yearbook), p. 171.
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