1961 Northeast Louisiana State Indians football team

1961 Northeast Louisiana State Indians football
Conference	Gulf States Conference
Record	3–7 (1–4 GSC)
Head coach	Jack C. Rowan (4th season)
Home stadium	Brown Stadium
Seasons ←  1960 1962  →

1961 Gulf States Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 7 Southeastern Louisiana +	4	–	1	–	0			9	–	1	–	0
No. 10 McNeese State +	4	–	1	–	0			7	–	2	–	0
Northwestern State	3	–	2	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
Louisiana Tech	3	–	2	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
Northeast Louisiana State	1	–	4	–	0			3	–	7	–	0
Southwestern Louisiana	0	–	5	–	0			2	–	8	–	0
+ – Conference co-champions Rankings from NAIA poll

The 1961 Northeast Louisiana State Indians football team was an American football team that represented Northeast Louisiana State College (now known as the University of Louisiana at Monroe) in the Gulf States Conference (GSC) during the 1961 college football season. In their fourth year under head coach Jack C. Rowan, the team compiled a 3–7 record (1–4 in conference games), finished in fifth place in the GSC, and were outscored by a total of 171 to 145. ^[1]

The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Ronnie Myrick (322 passing yards, 581 yards of total offense), fullback William Ragan (382 rushing yards, 31 points scored), and end Dewey Smith (118 receiving yards). ^[1]

The team played its home games at Brown Stadium in Monroe, Louisiana.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 16	Mexico Polytechical Institute *	Brown Stadium Monroe, LA	W 28–0	5,000	[2]
September 23	at Lamar Tech *	Greenie Stadium Beaumont, TX	L 34–38	7,000–7,100	[3] [4]
September 30	East Texas State *	Brown Stadium Monroe, LA	W 36–0	5,500	[5]
October 7	at Northwestern State	Demon Stadium Natchitoches, LA (rivalry)	L 7–28	6,000	[6]
October 14	McNeese State	Brown Stadium Monroe, LA	L 0–7	4,500–4,800	[7] [8]
October 21	No. 3 Southeastern Louisiana	Brown Stadium Monroe, LA	L 0–7	3,000–4,250	[9] [10]
October 28	vs. Southwestern Louisiana	State Fair Stadium Shreveport, LA (rivalry)	W 27–20	4,000	[11]
November 4	Delta State *	Brown Stadium Monroe, LA	L 0–9	5,600–5,700	[12] [13]
November 11	Arlington State *	Brown Stadium Monroe, LA	L 6–35	2,500	[14]
November 18	at Louisiana Tech	Tech Stadium Ruston, LA (rivalry)	L 7–27	7,000–7,500	[15] [16]
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

^[1]

Statistics

The Indians gained 2,429 yards of total offense (242.9 per game), consisting of 1,899 rushing yards (189.9 per game) and 530 passing yards (53.0 per game). On defense, they allowed opponents to gain 2,572 yards (257.2 per game), including 1,544 rushing yards (154.3 per game) and 928 passing yards (92.8 per game). ^[1]

Quarterback Ronnie Myrick led the team in both passing and total offense. He completed 25 of 57 passes for 322 yards with no touchdowns and six interceptions. He also gained 259 rushing yards for 581 yards of total offense. He ranked second on the team in scoring with 30 points on five touchdowns. ^[1]

Fullback William Ragan led the team in both rushing and scoring. He gained 382 rushing yards on 75 carries and scored 31 points on two touchdowns, 17 extra points, and a two-point conversion run. ^[1]

End Dewey Smith was the team's leading receiver with four cathes for 118 yards. ^[1]

Gordon Salsman was the team's punter, averaging 34.08 yards on 48 punts. ^[1]

Awards and honors

Guard Ross Nolan was selected by the writers as a first-team player on the 1961 All-Gulf States Conference football team. He was named to the second team by the coaches. Guard Larry Rambin received second-team honors from both the writers and coaches. Back Willie Ragan was also named to the second team by the writers. ^{[17] [18]}

References

1. "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved August 2, 2024.
2. "Indian eleven trims Mexico Polytechnic, 28–0". Monroe Morning World. September 17, 1961. p. 7B. Retrieved January 24, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
3. "Lamar rallies for triumph". Lake Charles American-Press. September 24, 1961. p. 25. Retrieved January 24, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
4. "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics (Lamar Tech)". National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved January 9, 2023.
5. "East Texas massacred by Northeast, 36 to 0". The Shreveport Times. October 1, 1961. p. 3D. Retrieved January 24, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
6. "Northwestern downs Northeast Indians, 28–7". Monroe Morning World. October 8, 1961. p. 6B. Retrieved January 24, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
7. "Bossier leads Cowboys over Northeast by 7–0". Lake Charles American-Press. October 15, 1961. p. 31. Retrieved January 24, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
8. "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics (McNeese State)". National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved February 27, 2023.
9. "Lions take 7–0 squeaker over fiery Indians". Monroe Morning World. October 22, 1961. p. 6B. Retrieved January 24, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
10. "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football (Southeastern Louisiana) Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved August 3, 2024.
11. "Southwestern loses by 27–20 to Northeast State gridders". The Daily Advertiser. October 29, 1961. p. 24. Retrieved January 24, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
12. "Delta State tops NE La". The Clarion-Ledger. November 5, 1961. p. C5. Retrieved January 24, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
13. "Brief Summary of Cumulative Statistics (Delta State)". National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved August 1, 2024.
14. "Arlington State crushes Northeast Tribe 35–6". Monroe Morning World. November 12, 1961. p. 6B. Retrieved January 24, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
15. "Slaughter puts Tech past Northeast, 27–7". The Shreveport Times. November 19, 1961. p. 4D. Retrieved January 24, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
16. "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics (Louisiana Tech)". National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved February 27, 2023.
17. "Breaux, Bossier, Steed, Sestak Make All-GSC". Lake Charles American Press. December 12, 1961. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
18. "Clayton, Slaughter, Sestak Head GSC Team". Alexandria Daily Town Talk. December 12, 1961. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.