1961 BYU Cougars football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1961
| team = BYU Cougars
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Skyline Conference
| short_conf = Skyline
| record = 2–8
| conf_record = 2–4
| head_coach = Hal Mitchell
| hc_year = 1st
| captain =
| stadium = Cougar Stadium
}}
{{1961 Skyline Conference football standings}}
The 1961 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University (BYU) as a member of the Skyline Conference during the 1961 college football season. In their first season under head coach Hal Mitchell, the Cougars compiled an overall record of 2–8 with a mark of 2–4 against conference opponents, tied for fifth place in the Skyline, and were outscored by all opponents by a combined total of 289 to 130.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/brigham-young/1961-schedule.html|title=1961 Brigham Young Cougars Schedule and Results|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|accessdate=January 3, 2019}}{{cite web|title=BYU Football 2015 Almanac|publisher=Brigham Young University|year=2015|page=169|accessdate=January 3, 2019|url=https://byucougars.com/dl/sites/default/files/files/webalmanac.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190903141005/https://byucougars.com/dl/sites/default/files/files/webalmanac.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 3, 2019}}
The team's statistical leaders included Eldon Fortie with 469 passing yards, 422 rushing yards, and 891 yards of total offense, and Paul Allen with 261 receiving yards and 58 points scored.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/brigham-young/1960.html|title=1960 Brigham Young Cougars Stats|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|accessdate=October 15, 2017}}BYU Football 2015 Almanac, pp. 162-164.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 16
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| opponent = San Jose State
| site_stadium = Cougar Stadium
| site_cityst = Provo, UT
| score = 13–14
| attend =
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 23
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = West Texas State
| site_stadium = Buffalo Bowl
| site_cityst = Canyon, TX
| score = 8–55
| attend = 12,000–13,000
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-salt-lake-tribune-cougars-run-into-w/169821201/|newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune|title=Cougars run into West Texas ambush! Lose by 55–8|date=September 24, 1961|accessdate=April 7, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 30
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = North Texas State
| site_stadium = Fouts Field
| site_cityst = Denton, TX
| score = 30–31
| attend = 8,000
| source = {{cite news|title=Eagles claw Cougars|newspaper=The Daily Herald|date=October 1, 1961|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88232470/eagles-claw-cougars/|accessdate=November 2, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 7
| w/l = w
| opponent = Montana
| site_stadium = Cougar Stadium
| site_cityst = Provo, UT
| score = 7–6
| attend = 6,519
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 14
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = Utah
| site_stadium = Ute Stadium
| site_cityst = Salt Lake City, UT
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 20–21
| attend =
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 21
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = Wyoming
| site_stadium = War Memorial Stadium
| site_cityst = Laramie, WY
| score = 8–36
| attend = 15,381
| source = {{cite news|title=Cowboys Clobber Cougar Club by 36 to 8|newspaper=Casper Tribune-Herald & Star|author=Ray Giffin|date=October 22, 1961|page=16|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/casper-star-tribune-cowboys-clobber-coug/154617293/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 4
| w/l = l
| opponent = Utah State
| site_stadium = Cougar Stadium
| site_cityst = Provo, UT
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 8–31
| attend = 13,123
| source = {{cite news|title=Ags Whip Cats 21-8; Long Gallops Feature BYU Homecoming Tilt|newspaper=The Sunday Herald (Provo, UT)|author=Ray Schwartz|date=November 5, 1961|page=1 (sports)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sunday-herald-ags-whip-cats-21-8-lo/153651195/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 11
| w/l = w
| opponent = Colorado State
| site_stadium = Cougar Stadium
| site_cityst = Provo, UT
| score = 30–16
| attend = 8,144
| source = {{cite news|title=BYU Whips Rams 30-16|newspaper=The Sunday Herald (Provo, UT)|author=Ray Schwartz|date=November 12, 1961|page=1 (sports)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sunday-herald-byu-whips-rams-30-16/153529115/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 18
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = Oregon State
| site_stadium = Parker Stadium
| site_cityst = Corvallis, OR
| score = 0–35
| attend = 8,495
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 25
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = New Mexico
| site_stadium = University Stadium
| site_cityst = Albuquerque, NM
| score = 6–34
| attend = 11,020
| source = {{cite news|title=Lobos Devour Cougars by 34-6 Score|newspaper=Albuquerque Journal|author=Dan Russel|date=November 26, 1961|page=C1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/albuquerque-journal-lobos-devour-cougars/153609248/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{BYU Cougars football navbox}}
Category:BYU Cougars football seasons
{{collegefootball-1961-season-stub}}