1961 Southwestern Louisiana Bulldogs football team

1961 Southwestern Louisiana Bulldogs football
Conference	Gulf States Conference
Record	2–8 (0–5 GSC)
Head coach	Russ Faulkinberry (1st season)
Home stadium	McNaspy 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 Southwestern Louisiana Bulldogs football team was an American football team that represented the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now known as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) in the Gulf States Conference (GSC) during the 1961 college football season. In their first year under head coach Russ Faulkinberry, the Bulldogs compiled a 2–8 record (0–5 in conference games), finished in last pace in the GSC, and were outscored by a total of 194 to 99 ^{[1] [2]}

The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Olie Cordill (466 passing yards, 582 yards total offense), fullback Carlton Falgout (430 rushing yards, 81 carries), and end Bob Verlander (13 receptions, 206 yards, 18 points). ^[3]

The team played its home games at McNaspy Stadium in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 16	at Southeastern Louisiana	Strawberry Stadium Hammond, LA (Cypress Mug)	L 0–27	8,500
September 23	at Arlington State *	Memorial Stadium Arlington, TX	L 0–26	5,000–8,000	[4]
September 30	Mississippi Southern *	McNaspy Stadium Lafayette, LA	L 6–22	5,500	[5]
October 7	at Louisiana Tech	Tech Stadium Ruston, LA (rivalry)	L 0–12	7,000	[6]
October 21	Louisiana College *	McNaspy Stadium Lafayette, LA	L 9–14
October 28	vs. Northeast Louisiana State	State Fair Stadium Shreveport, LA (rivalry)	L 20–27	4,000	[7]
November 4	at Pensacola NAS *	NAS Stadium Pensacola, FL	W 9–7	4,000
November 11	Northwestern State	McNaspy Stadium Lafayette, LA	L 14–27	6,000–6,500	[8]
November 18	McNeese State	McNaspy Stadium Lafayette, LA (Cajun Crown)	L 0–25	6,500	[9]
November 25	Henderson State *	McNaspy Stadium Lafayette, LA	W 41–7	2,500
*Non-conference game

^[3]

Statistics

The Bulldogs gained 2,010 yards of total offense (201.0 per game) consisting of 1,368 rushing yards (136.8 per game) and 642 passing yards (64.2 per game). On defense, they allowed opponents to gain 3,362 yards (336.2 per game), including 2,514 rushing yards (251.4 per game) and 788 passing yards (78.8 per game). ^[3]

Quarterback Olie Cordill completed 45 of 122 passes (36.9%) for 466 yards with five touchdowns and six interceptions. He also gained 115 rushing yards and led the team with 582 yards of total offense. Cordill also led the team in punting with an average of 39.1 yard on 27 punts. ^[3]

Left end Bob Verlander led the team in receiving and scoring. He had 13 receptions for 206 yards and scored 18 points on three touchdowns. ^[3]

Fullback Carlton Falgoutt led the team in rushing with 430 yards on 81 carries for an average of 5.3 yards per carry. ^[3]

Awards and honors

Three Southwestern Louisiana players received recognition from the coaches or writers on the 1961 All-Gulf States Conference football teams:

• Carlton Falgout was recognized by the coaches as the first-team fullback; he was recognized by the writers as a second-team back and a third-team tackle.
• Cliff O'Neal was recognized by the coaches as a second-team end.
• Bob Verlander was recognized by the writers as a third-team end.

^{[10] [11]}

References

1. "2019 Louisiana Football Media Guide" (PDF). Louisiana Athletics Communications Office. 2019. p. 97. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
2. Klees, Robert, ed. (1962). "Athletics". L'Acadien. University of Southwestern Louisiana. pp. 246–259. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
3. "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics (Southwestern Louisiana)". National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved February 27, 2023.
4. "5,000 fans watch as Rebels sparkle in home debut, 26–0". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. September 24, 1961. pp. 2–7. Retrieved March 28, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
5. "Miss. Southern defeats USL 22–6 in hard-fought battle". The Daily Advertiser. October 1, 1961. Retrieved March 28, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
6. "Bulldogs fall to Tech by 12–0 in Gulf States grid contest". The Daily Advertiser. October 8, 1961. Retrieved June 27, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
7. "Southwestern loses by 27–20 to Northeast State gridders". The Daily Advertiser. October 29, 1961. p. 24. Retrieved March 28, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
8. "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics (Northwestern State)". National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved July 3, 2024.
9. "Cowboys run over USL to share crown". Monroe Morning World. November 19, 1961. Retrieved February 27, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
10. "Breaux, Bossier, Steed, Sestak Make All-GSC". Lake Charles American Press. December 12, 1961. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Clayton, Slaughter, Sestak Head GSC Team". Alexandria Daily Town Talk. December 12, 1961. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.