1961 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team

The 1961 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represented Eastern Illinois University as a member of the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1961 college football season. The team was led by fifth-year head coach Ralph Kohl and played their home games at Lincoln Field in Charleston, Illinois. The Panthers finished the season with a 4–3–1 record overall and a 3–2–1 record in conference play.^[1]

1961 Eastern Illinois Panthers football
Conference	Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Record	4–3–1 (3–2–1 IIAC)
Head coach	Ralph Kohl (5th season)
Home stadium	Lincoln Field
Seasons ← 1960 1962 →

1961 Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Southern Illinois $	5	–	1	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
Western Illinois	4	–	2	–	0			5	–	3	–	0
Illinois State Normal	4	–	2	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
Eastern Illinois	3	–	2	–	1			4	–	3	–	1
Northern Illinois	3	–	2	–	1			4	–	4	–	1
Central Michigan	1	–	5	–	0			2	–	8	–	0
Eastern Michigan	0	–	6	–	0			0	–	8	–	1
$ – Conference champion

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 23	at Indiana State*	Memorial Stadium Terre Haute, IN	W 23–20		[2]
September 30	Illinois State Normal	Lincoln Field Charleston, IL (rivalry)	L 0–18	2,000	[3][4]
October 7	Ferris Institute*	Lincoln Field Charleston, IL	L 16–20	940	[5]
October 14	Northern Illinois	Lincoln Field Charleston, IL	T 20–20	3,600–7,000	[6][7]
October 21	at Southern Illinois	McAndrew Stadium Carbondale, IL	L 6–33	13,000	[8]
October 28	Eastern Michigan	Lincoln Field Charleston, IL	W 0–7	583	[9]
November 4	Western Illinois	Lincoln Field Charleston, IL	W 14–0	997–4,000	[10][11]
November 11	at Central Michigan	Alumni Field Mount Pleasant, MI	W 22–13	5,000	[12][13]
*Non-conference game

^[14]

References

1. "Football Record Book" (PDF). Eastern Illinois University Athletics. p. 46. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
2. "Eastern Wins 23-20 Over Indiana State". Decatur Sunday Herald and Review. September 24, 1961. p. 17. Retrieved June 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
3. Barnhart, Jim (October 1, 1961). "State Normal Pummels Eastern Illinois, 18-0". The Pantagraph. p. 13. Retrieved June 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Illinois State Normal)". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
5. "Ferris Institute Beats EIU 20-16". Mattoon Journal Gazette. October 9, 1961. p. 5. Retrieved June 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Northern Shows Burst of Power But Eastern Fights Back". The DeKalb Daily Chronicle. October 16, 1961. p. 12. Retrieved June 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics (Northern Illinois)". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
8. "Southern Illinois Takes Homecoming 33-6, Tied For Second". The Edwardsville Intelligencer. October 23, 1961. p. 8. Retrieved June 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Butler Carries EIU to Victory". Mattoon Journal Gazette. October 30, 1961. p. 5. Retrieved June 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "EIU Upsets Western Ill". Mattoon Journal Gazette. November 6, 1961. p. 5. Retrieved June 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Brief Summary of Cumulative Football Statistics (Western Illinois)". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
12. "C. Michigan Beaten, 22-13, by E. Illinois". Chicago Tribune. Associated Press. November 12, 1961. p. 2:3. Retrieved June 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics (Central Michigan)". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
14. "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 12, 2022.