1961 Arizona State–Flagstaff Lumberjacks football team

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 1961

| team = Arizona State–Flagstaff Lumberjacks

| sport = football

| image =

| image_size =

| conference = Frontier Conference

| short_conf = Frontier

| record = 3–5–1

| conf_record = 1–0–1

| head_coach = Max Spilsbury

| hc_year = 6th

| captain =

| stadium = Lumberjack Stadium

| champion = Frontier champion

}}

The 1961 Arizona State–Flagstaff Lumberjacks football team was an American football team that represented Arizona State College at Flagstaff (now known as Northern Arizona University) in the Frontier Conference during the 1961 college football season. In their sixth year under head coach Max Spilsbury, the Lumberjacks compiled a 3–5–1 record (1–0–1 against conference opponents), tied for the Frontier Conference championship, and were outscored by a total of 230 to 136.{{cite web|title=2013 Northern Arizona Football Media Guide|publisher=Northern Arizona University|year=2013|page=77|url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/nau.sidearmsports.com/documents/2017/5/26/2013_Football_Media_Guide-Web.pdf|accessdate=September 4, 2021}}

Senior fullback Boyd Hall led the team with 570 rushing yards, 648 yards of total offense, and 37 points scored (six touchdowns and an extra point).

The team played its home games at Lumberjack Stadium in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Schedule

{{CFB schedule

| timezone = Mountain

| time = y

| attend = y

| source = y

|September 16||at|New Mexico State|Memorial Stadium|Las Cruces, NM|L 6–56|8,000–8,150|{{cite news|title=Aggies Capture 16th in Row, 56–6: Flagstaff 200th Woodson Victim|newspaper=Albuquerque Journal|date=September 17, 1961|page=D1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17350453/aggies_capture_16th_in_row_566/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|September 23||at|Adams State|Rex Field|Alamosa, CO|L 6–14|4,700|{{cite news|title=Adams State Rally Edges Axers, 14-6|newspaper=Arizona Republic|author=Bill Nixon|date=September 24, 1961|page=2C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic-adams-state-rally-edges/151005331/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|September 30|||Redlands|Lumberjack Stadium|Flagstaff, AZ|W 13–10|3,500–4,450|{{cite news|title=Lumberjacks Dump Redlands 13-10|newspaper=Arizona Daily Sun|date=October 2, 1961|page=5|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-daily-sun-lumberjacks-dump-redla/150743177/|via=Newspapers.com}}

|October 7|||Idaho State|Lumberjack Stadium|Flagstaff, AZ|L 0–27|4,500|

|October 14||at|{{cfb link|year=1961|team=New Mexico Highlands Cowboys|title=New Mexico Highlands}}||Las Vegas, NM|T 21–21|5,000|

|October 21|9:00 p..m.|at|{{cfb link|year=1961|team=Santa Clara Broncos|title=Santa Clara}}|San Jose City College Field|San Jose, CA|L 10–20|4,800|{{cite news |author= |title=Arizona Eleven Tests Santa Clara |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86542662/oakland-tribune/ |newspaper=Oakland Tribune |location=Oakland, California |date=October 21, 1961 |page=14 |access-date=October 5, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}

|October 28|||{{cfb link|year=1961|team=New Mexico Western Mustangs|title=New Mexico Western}}|Lumberjack Stadium|Flagstaff, AZ|W 35–13|3,600–4,000|{{cite news |author= |title=Axers Win 35 To 13; Cop Title |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86542340/arizona-daily-star/ |newspaper=Arizona Daily Star |location=Tucson, Arizona |date=October 29, 1961 |page=45 |access-date=October 5, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}

|November 4|||Cal Poly Pomona|Lumberjack Stadium|Flagstaff, AZ|L 12–55|2,500–3,000|{{cite web |author= |title=Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics (Cal Poly Pomona) |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/91/stats/12865 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=May 25, 2022 }}

|November 18|||{{cfb link|year=1961|team=Eastern New Mexico Greyhounds|title=Eastern New Mexico}}|Lumberjack Stadium|Flagstaff, AZ|W 33–14|2,450|

}}

{{cite web |author= |title=Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics (Arizona State–Flagstaff) |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/501/stats/12865 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=December 22, 2022 }}

Statistics

The Lumberjacks gained 2,647 yards of total offense (294.1 per game), consisting of 2,196 rushing yards (244.0 per game) and 451 passing yards (50.1 per game). On defense, they gave up 2,595 yards (288.3 per game) including 1,646 rushing yards (182.9 per game) and 949 passing games (105.4 per game).

Fullback Boyd Hall led the team in rushing, total offense, and scoring. He tallied 570 rushing yards on 130 carries, an average of 4.38 yard per carry. He also completed eight of eight passes for 78 passing yards bringing his total offense to 648 yards. He scored 37 points on six touchdowns and one extra-point kick.

Junior quarterback Jerry Steele completed 34 of 71 passes for 348 yards with three touchdowns and six interceptions.

Ed Miner was the leading receiver with 12 receptions for 91 yards.

Other notable contributors included Bob Gradillas (388 rushing yards, 73 carries; 32 receiving yards, five receptions), Jim Eis (376 rushing yards, 70 carries), Art Whitmore (238 rushing yards, 38 carries), Jim Sims (196 yards, 31 carries), David Estrada and 181 yards (26 carries).{{cite news|title=Hall Top Gainer for Axers|newspaper=Arizona Daily Sun|date=November 21, 1961|page=6|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-daily-sun-hall-top-gainer-for-ax/157008825/|via=Newspapers.com}}

Coaches

Head coach: Max Spilsbury
Assistant coaches: Ted Sorich (backfield), Don Ettinger{{cite news|title=ASC 11 Faces New Stiff Test|newspaper=The Arizona Republic|date=September 19, 1961|page=27|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-arizona-republic-asc-11-faces-new-st/157010449/|via=Newspapers.com}}

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1961 Arizona State-Flagstaff Lumberjacks football team}}

Arizona State-Flagstaff

Category:Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football seasons

Category:Frontier Conference (1940–1962) football champion seasons

Arizona State-Flagstaff Lumberjacks football