1961Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
Gator Bowl, L 15–30 vs.Penn State
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 13
AP	No. 13
Record	7–4 (4–3 SEC)
Head coach	Bobby Dodd (17th season)
Captains	Chick Graning Willie McGaughey Billy Williamson
Home stadium	Grant Field
Seasons ← 1960 1962 →

The1961 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team was anAmerican football team that represented theGeorgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) as a member of theSoutheastern Conference (SEC) during the1961 college football season. In their 17th year under head coachBobby Dodd, the Yellow Jackets compiled a 7–3 record (4–3 in conference games), tied for fourth place in the SEC, and outscored opponents by a total of 162 to 50. They were ranked 13th in the finalAP andUPI polls, and were invited to the1961 Gator Bowl, where they lost toPenn State.^[1]

The team played its home games atGrant Field inAtlanta.

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance	Source
September 22	atUSC*		Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA		W 27–7	36,950	[2]
September 30	No. 7Rice*		Grant Field Atlanta, GA		W 24–0	43,501	[3]
October 7	atLSU	No. 3	Tiger Stadium Baton Rouge, LA		L 0–10	66,000	[4]
October 14	Duke*		Grant Field Atlanta, GA		W 21–0	44,015	[5]
October 21	Auburn	No. 8	Grant Field Atlanta, GA (rivalry)		W 7–6	45,376	[6]
October 28	atTulane	No. 9	Tulane Stadium New Orleans, LA		W 35–0	22,000	[7]
November 4	Florida	No. 7	Grant Field Atlanta, GA		W 20–0	44,940	[8]
November 11	atTennessee	No. 9	Shields–Watkins Field Knoxville, TN (rivalry)		L 6–10	46,000	[9]
November 18	at No. 2Alabama		Legion Field Birmingham, AL (rivalry)		L 0–10	53,000	[10]
December 2	Georgia		Grant Field Atlanta, GA (rivalry)		W 22–7	47,098	[11]
December 30	vs. No. 17Penn State*	No. 13	Gator Bowl Stadium Jacksonville, FL (Gator Bowl)	CBS	L 15–30	50,202	[12]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings fromAP Poll released prior to the game

^[13]

The team gained an average of 164.9 rushing yards and 91.2 passing yards per game. On defense, they gave up 105.4 rushing yards and 47.0 passing yards per game.^[14]

The passing offense was led by quarterbacks Stan Gann (43-for-79, 450 yards) andBilly Lothridge (26-for-63, 371 yards).^[14]

The rushing offense was led by backs Mike McNamee (350 yards, 94 carries, 3.7-yard average), Billy Williamson (331 yards, 63 carries, 5.3-yard average), and Chick Graning (184 yards, 48 carries, 3.8-yard average).^[14]

The team's leading receivers were Billy Martin (16 receptions, 233 yards), Billy Williamson (21 receptions, 221 yards), and Joe Auer (10 receptions, 145 yards).^[14]

The team selected three captains for the 1961 team: center Willie McGaughey and halfbacks Billy Williamson and Chick Graning.^[15]

GuardDave Watson was selected by both theAssociated Press (AP) andUnited Press International (UPI) as a first-team player on the1961 All-SEC football team. Others receiving All-SEC honors were halfback Billy Williamson (AP-3, UPI-2) and guards Harold Erickson (AP-2) andRufus Guthrie (UPI-2).^[16][17]

^[18]

• Head coach: Bobby Dodd
• Assistant coaches: Jack Griffin, Charlie Tate, Lewis Woodruff, Dick Inman, John Robert Bell, Jimmy Carlen, Art Davis, Jesse Berry, Jim Luck, Spec Landrum, Billy "Dynamite" Goodloe^[19]
• Trainer: Henry L. "Buck" Andel^[19]
• Athletic director: Bobby Dodd

• 1961 Southeastern Conference football season
• Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football seasons
• 1961 in sports in Georgia (U.S. state)

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