The 1961 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California (USC) in the 1961 NCAA University Division football season. In their second year under head coach John McKay, the Trojans compiled a 4–5–1 record (2–1–1 against conference opponents), finished in a tie for second place in the Athletic Association of Western Universities, and were outscored by their opponents by a combined total of 167 to 151.[1]
| 1961 USC Trojans football | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Athletic Association of Western Universities |
| Record | 4–5–1 (2–1–1 AAWU) |
| Head coach |
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| Captain | Britt Williams |
| Home stadium | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 16 UCLA $ | 3 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USC | 2 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 4 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington | 2 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stanford | 1 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| California | 1 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 8 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Quarterback Bill Nelsen led the team in passing, completing 39 of 86 passes for 683 yards with four touchdowns and five interceptions. Ben Wilson led the team in rushing, with 619 yards on 139 carries. Hal Bedsole was the team's leading receiver with 27 catches for 525 yards and six touchdowns.[2] Bedsole was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
Schedule edit
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 22 | Georgia Tech* | L 7–27 | 32,928 | |
| September 29 | SMU* |
| W 21–16 | 29,148 |
| October 7 | No. 1 Iowa* |
| L 34–35 | 30,263 |
| October 14 | at No. 8 Notre Dame* | L 0–30 | 50,427 | |
| October 21 | at California | W 28–14 | 38,000 | |
| October 28 | Illinois* |
| W 14–10 | 28,694 |
| November 4 | at Washington | T 0–0 | 54,916 | |
| November 11 | Stanford |
| W 30–15 | 36,598 |
| November 18 | at Pittsburgh* | L 9–10 | 34,820 | |
| November 25 | UCLA |
| L 7–10 | 57,580 |
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References edit
- ^ "Southern California Yearly Results (1960-1964)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
- ^ "1961 Southern California Trojans Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 21, 2015.