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The 1961 UCLA Bruins football team was an American football team that represented the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as a member of the Athletic Association of Western Universities (AAWU), commonly known at the time as the Big 5 Conference, during the 1961 college football season. In their fourth year under head coach Bill Barnes, the Bruins compiled a 7–4 record (3–1 in conference games), won the AAWU championship, outscored opponents by a total of 182 to 121, and were ranked No. 16 in the final Associated Press writers poll. They closed the season with a 21–3 loss to Minnesota in the 1962 Rose Bowl.[1]
| 1961 UCLA Bruins football | |
|---|---|
_.jpg) | |
AAWU champion | |
| Conference | Athletic Association of Western Universities |
| Ranking | |
| AP | No. 16 |
| Record | 7–4 (3–1 AAWU) |
| Head coach |
|
| Captain | Ron Hull |
| Home stadium | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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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Ron Hull, who played at center on offense and linebacker on defense, was the team captain and a first-team All-American. The team's offensive leaders were Bobby Smith with 305 passing yards and 60 points scored; Mike Haffner with 696 rushing yards; and Kermit Alexander with 271 receiving yards.[2]
The team played its home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles.
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| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 23 | at Air Force* | W 19–6 | 27,500 | [3] | ||
| September 30 | at Michigan* | No. 9 | L 6–29 | 73,019 | [4] | |
| October 7 | at No. 8 Ohio State* | L 3–13 | 82,992 | |||
| October 14 | Vanderbilt* | W 28–21 | 23,704 | [5] | ||
| October 21 | Pittsburgh* |
| W 20–6 | 27,688 | [6] | |
| October 28 | at Stanford | W 20–0 | 35,000 | [7] | ||
| November 4 | California |
| W 35–15 | 33,792 | [8] | |
| November 10 | TCU* |
| W 28–7 | 29,236 | ||
| November 18 | Washington |
| L 13–17 | 33,969 | [9] | |
| November 25 | at USC |
| W 10–7 | 57,580 | [10] | |
| January 1 | vs. No. 6 Minnesota* | L 3–21 | 98,214 | |||
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Ron Hull was on the field for 350 of 600 minutes during the 1961 regular season, playing at center on offense and at linebacker on defense.[12] He was selected by the Football Writers Association of America (for Look magazine) as the first-team center on the 1961 All-America team.[13] Hull also received second-team All-America honors from the Associated Press (AP).
At the end of the season, the AP released a 1961 All-Pacific Coast football team, and the AAWU released its own all-conference list limited to AAWU teams. Nine UCLA players received honors one or both: Hull (AP-1, AAWU-1); halfback Bobby Smith (AP-1, AAWU-1); quarterback/halfback Mike Haffner (AP-2, AAWU-2); tackle Foster Andersen (AP-2, AAWU-2); end Kermit Alexander (AAWU-2); end Don Vena (AAWU-2); guard Frank Macri (AAWU-2); guard Tom Paton (AAWU-2); and tackle Marshall Shirk (AAWU-2).[14][15]
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The Bruins gained an average of 218.5 rushing yards and 68 passing yards per game and scored an average of 16.5 points a game. On defense, the team held opponents to 144.2 rushing yards and 78.9 passing yards and 11.0 points per game.[16]
The team's individual statistical leaders were:
- Rushing - Mike Haffner (696 yards, 107 carries), Bobby Smith (631 yards, 166 carries), Almose Thompson (370 yards, 93 carries), and Kermit Alexander (165 yards, 30 carries).[16]
- Passing - Bobby Smith (16 of 33, 305 yards, one touchdown, three interceptions) and Mike Haffner (14 of 34, 231 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions).[16]
- Receiving - Kermit Alexander (11 receptions, 271 yards) and Don Vena (nine receptions, 103 yards).[16]
- Scoring - Bobby Smith (60 points) and Mike Haffner (48 points).[16]
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Roster
- Kermit Alexander, right halfback, 187 pounds, No. 33
- Dick Allen, guard
- Foster Andersen, tackle, 235 pounds, No. 74
- Joe Bauwens, guard/tackle
- Steve Bauwens, tackle
- Jim Bergman, quarterback
- Walt Dathe, guard
- Mitch Dimkich, fullback
- Carmen DiPoalo, halfback
- Tony Fiorentino, tackle
- Al Geverink, end
- Mel Gibbs, end
- Tom Gutman, right end, No. 80
- Mike Haffner, left halfback, sophomore, No. 11[17]
- Bill Hauck, right halfback
- Gale Hickman, end
- Chuck Hicks, right end, 191 pounds, No. 88
- Ron Hull, center and captain, 205 pounds, No. 50
- Keith Jensen, halfback
- Bob Jones, tackle
- John LoCurto, quarterback
- Frank Macari, guard, 235 pounds, No. 43
- Phil Oram, tackle, 221 pounds, No. 77
- Tom Paton, guard, 215 pounds, No. 68
- Mel Profit, defensive end, No. 84[18]
- Herb Quincy, guard
- Joe Rosenkrans, halfback
- Gary Scrivens, center
- Marshall Shirk, tackle
- Ezell Singleton, halfback, No. 20
- Bob Smith, right halfback
- Bobby Smith, left halfback, 193 pounds, No. 19
- Bob Stevens, quarterback, 194 pounds, No. 41
- Dave Stout, guard
- Almose Thompson, fullback, 198 pounds, No. 24
- Steve Truesdell, center
- Don Vena, left end, 205 pounds, No. 82
- Andy Von Sonn, center
- John Walker, quarterback
- Bob Weeden, tackle/edn
- Joe Zeno, fullback, No. 28
Coaching staff
- Bill Barnes, head coach, fourth year
- Deke Brackett, senior assistant coach
- Bob Bergdahl, assistant coach
- Sam Boghosian, assistant coach (line)
- Jim Dawson, assistant coach[20]
- Johnny Johnson, assistant coach
- Dan Peterson, assistant coach
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