American college football season
The1961 Rice Owls football team was anAmerican football team that representedRice University as a member of theSouthwest Conference (SWC) during the1961 college football season . In their 22nd year under head coachJess Neely , the Owls compiled a 7–3 record (5–2 in conference games), finished in third place in the SWC, and outscored opponents by a total of 176 to 125. They concluded their season with a 33–7 loss toKansas in the1961 Bluebonnet Bowl [ 1]
Halfback Butch Blume scored 74 points to break Rice's single-season scoring record, and fullback Roland Jackson led the team with 415 rushing yards. Jackson, endJohn Burrell , and tackle Robert Johnston received first-team honors on the1961 All-Southwest Conference football team .
The Owls were ranked No. 7 in theAP writers poll early in the season, but dropped out of the rankings following their September 30 loss toGeorgia Tech . They have not been ranked in the AP poll since that time.
The Owls played their home games atRice Stadium inHouston, Texas .
Date Opponent Rank Site TV Result Attendance Source September 23 No. 5LSU * W 16–373,000 [ 2] September 30 atGeorgia Tech * No. 7 L 0–2443,501 [ 3] October 14 Florida * W 19–1032,000 [ 4] October 21 SMU W 10–037,000 [ 5] October 28 at No. 3Texas L 7–3462,310 [ 6] November 4 atTexas Tech W 42–734,000 November 11 Arkansas L 0–1043,000 [ 7] [ 8] November 18 Texas A&M W 21–753,000 [ 9] November 25 atTCU W 35–1622,000 [ 10] December 2 Baylor W 26–1430,000 [ 11] December 16 vs.Kansas * CBS L 7–3352,000 [ 12] [ 13] *Non-conference game Rankings fromAP Poll released prior to the game
Halfback and MVP Les "Butch" Blume The 1961 Owls gained an average of 174.0 rushing yards and 90.3 passing yards per game. On defense, they gave up an average of 175.6 rushing yards and 118.7 passing yards per game.[ 14]
Rice halfback Les "Butch" Blume, a 5'9" clarinetist fromLaGrange, Texas , scored 74 points in the regular season to win the 1961 Southwest Conference scoring championship. His point tally included six field goals and brokeDicky Moegle 's Rice scoring record of 72 points in1954 .[ 15]
Fullback Roland Jackson led the team with 415 rushing yards on 88 carries in 10 regular season games for an average of 4.7 yards per game. Other leading rushers included Butch Blume (308 yards, 44 carries, 5.6-yard average) and Randall Kerbow (249 yards, 72 carries, 3.5-yards average).[ 14]
The team's passing leaders were quarterbacks Randall Kerbow (37-for-79, 505 yards, three touchdowns, six interceptions) and Billy Cox (23-for-52, 287 yards, five touchdowns, one interception). The leading receivers were Johnny Burrell (seven catches, 133 yards) and Gene Raesz (eight catches, 112 yards).[ 14]
The team's tri-captains were tackle Ray Alborn, endJohn Burrell , and fullback Roland Jackson.[ 16]
Halfback Les "Butch" Blume won the George Martin Award as the team's most valuable player.
Three Rice players received first-team honors from theAssociated Press (AP) or theUnited Press International (UPI) on the1961 All-Southwest Conference football team : Roland Jackson at fullback (AP-1, UPI-1);John Burrell at end (AP-1); and Robert Johnston at tackle (AP-1).[ 17] [ 18]
The principal players featured inThe Campanile yearbook were:
Ray Alborn, tackle, senior, 6'1", 220 pounds, Houston, TX Larry Anthony, guard, senior, 6'0", 223 pounds, Lamesa, TX Les "Butch" Blume, halfback, junior, 5'9", 170 pounds, LaGrange, TX Mike Bowen, back, senior, 6'0", 190 pounds, Houston, TX Spencer Brown, back, senior, 6'0", 180 pounds, Kerryville, TX Johnny Burrell , end, senior, 6'3", 185 pounds, Fort Worth, TXLonnie Caddell, back, senior, 6'2", 203 pounds, Dallas, TX Jerry Candler, halfback, junior, 6'0", 186 pounds, Ballinger, TX Johnny Cole, center, junior, 6'2", 202 pounds, Ft. Worth, TX John Cornett, tackle, senior, 6'4", 242 pounds, Alice, TX Billy Cox, quarterback, junior, 5'11", 188 pounds, Galena Park, TX Mike Fritsch, tackle, sophomore, 6'3", 241 pounds, Lockhart, TX Pat Gerald, center, junior, 6'0", 178 pounds, Sweetwater, TX Roland Jackson, fullback, senior, 6'0", 203 pounds, Ruston, LA Robert Johnston, tackle, 6'4", 217 pounds, Pine Bluff, AR George Karam, tackle, senior, 6'1", 210 pounds, McAllen, TX Jerry Kelly, end, sophomore, 6'0", 187 pounds, Eunice, NM Randall Kerbow, quarterback, junior, 6'0", 183 pounds, Pasadena, TX Dan Malin, center, junior, 6'3", 221 pounds, Temple, TX John Mims, tackle, sophomore, 6'3", 240 pounds, Mission, TX Johnny Nicols, guard, sophomore, 5'11", 200 pounds, Galena Park, TX Gary Poage, back, senior, 6'1", 185 pounds, Happy, TX Gene Raesz, end, junior, 6'1", 197 pounds, Taylor, TX Tommy Rees, end, junior, 6'4", 210 pounds, Big Lake, TX Ronny Schultz, end, senior, 6'3", 201 pounds, Austin, TX Kenny Simmons, guard, junior, 6'0", 194 pounds, Colorado City, TX John Sylvester, end, sophomore, 6'1", 175 pounds, Baytown, TX Bob Wayt, back, senior, 6'0", 178 pounds, White Oak, TX Dickie Woods, guard, senior, 5'11", 205 pounds, Sweetwater, TX [ 19] [ 20]
Head coach:Jess Neely Director of Athletics: Jess Neely Assistant coaches: Cecil B. Grigg, Charles E. Moore, A.M. "Red" Bale, Joe W. Davis, Bo Hagen Freshman football coach: Nick Lanza Trainer: Eddie Wojecki [ 21]
End Johnny Burrell
Fullback Roland Jackson
Tackle Robert Johnston
^ "1960 Rice Owls Schedule and Results" .SR/College Football . Sports Reference LLC. RetrievedAugust 2, 2018 .^ "Cox' pass shoe stabs LSU, 16–3" .The American-Statesman . September 24, 1961. RetrievedOctober 10, 2023 – viaNewspapers.com .^ "Yellow Jackets chill Rice, 24–0" .Fort Worth Star-Telegram . October 1, 1961. RetrievedOctober 10, 2023 – viaNewspapers.com .^ "Owl pass thefts, power runs rip Florida by 19–10" .Fort Worth Star-Telegram . October 14, 1961. RetrievedOctober 10, 2023 – viaNewspapers.com .^ Paul Brookshire (October 22, 1961)."Owls Score in First Half To Beat Mustangs, 10-0" .Fort Worth Star-Telegram . p. 3 (section 2) – viaNewspapers.com . ^ "Texas smears Rice, 34–7" .The Tyler Courier-Times-Telegraph . October 29, 1961. RetrievedApril 30, 2023 – viaNewspapers.com .^ Jim Trinkle (November 12, 1961)."Razorbacks Sink Owls, 10-0, in Mud" .Fort Worth Star-Telegram . pp. 1, 4 (section 2) – viaNewspapers.com . ^ "Blume, Jackson Pace Rice To 42-7 Victory Over Tech" .Corpus Christi Times . Associated Press. November 5, 1961. p. 1C – viaNewspapers.com .^ Jim Trinkle (November 19, 1961)."Rice Shells Aggies, 21-7, With Passes" .Fort Worth Star-Telegram . p. 3 (section 2) – viaNewspapers.com . ^ Bill Van Fleet (November 26, 1961)."Rice Defeats Giant Killers, 35-16: Owls Roll to 35-0 Lead, Outlast Frogs' Aerials" .Fort Worth Star-Telegram . pp. 1, 6 (section 2) – viaNewspapers.com . ^ Dave Campbell (December 3, 1961)."Owls Step Over Bears Into Bluebonnet; Blume Triggers Victory Assault, 26-14" .Waco Tribune-Herald . p. 2B – viaNewspapers.com . ^ Jim Trinkle (December 17, 1961)."Jayhawks Submerge Rice, 33-7" .Fort Worth Star-Telegram . p. 1 (section 4) – viaNewspapers.com . ^ Mayer, Bill (December 18, 1961)."Dedicated, jubilant Hawks throw off bad effects and end season on strong note" .Lawrence Daily Journal-World . Kansas. p. 16. ^a b c "1960 Rice Owls Stats" .SR/College Football . Sports Reference LLC. RetrievedSeptember 11, 2024 .^ Jim Trinkle (December 3, 1961)."Blume-Led Owls Drop Bears, 26-14" .Fort Worth Star-Telegram . p. 1 (section 2) – viaNewspapers.com . ^ The Campanile 1962, p. 336. ^ "Saxton, Alworth Lead Coaches' All-Southwest Conference Teams" .Corsicana Daily Sun . December 4, 1961. p. 10 – viaNewspapers.com .^ "UPI All-Southwest Conference" .The Bryan Daily Eagle . December 3, 1961. p. 12 – viaNewspapers.com .^ The Campanile 1962, pp. 338-347. ^ "Rice Roster" .The Austin American . September 7, 1961. p. 39 – viaNewspapers.com .^ The Campanile 1962, p. 335.
Venues Bowls & rivalries Culture & lore People Seasons
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)