1961 Harvard Crimson football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1961
| team = Harvard Crimson
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Ivy League
| short_conf = Ivy
| record = 6–3
| conf_record = 6–1
| head_coach = John Yovicsin
| hc_year = 5th
| captain = Alex W. “Pete” Hart
| stadium = Harvard Stadium
| champion = Ivy League co-champion
}}
{{1961 Ivy League football standings}}
The 1961 Harvard Crimson football team was an American football team that represented Harvard University as a member of the Ivy League during the 1961 college football season. In their fifth year under head coach John Yovicsin, the Crimson compiled a 6–3 record (6–1 in conference games) and outscored opponents by a total of 160 to 97 (143 to 60 in conference games). They tied with Columbia for the Ivy League championship even though Harvard lost to Columbia by a 26–14 score during the season.{{cite book|url=https://ivyleague.com/documents/2017/8/23/3_Year_By_Year_History_2017.pdf?id=2998|title=Ivy League Football Media Guide|chapter=Year-by-Year History|publisher=Ivy League|location=Princeton, N.J.|date=2017|access-date=July 10, 2020|page=23}}{{cite news|title=1961 Harvard Crimson Schedule and Results|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|accessdate=September 16, 2024|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/harvard/1961-schedule.html}}
Alex W. "Pete" Hart was the team captain.{{cite web |title=Football Record Book: Year-by-Year Results |publisher=Harvard University |location=Cambridge, Mass. |access-date=June 20, 2020 |url=https://gocrimson.com/documents/2020/6/17//FBL_RecordBook_Year_by_Year_Results.pdf?id=6334}} Three Harvard players received first-team all-conference honors: end Bob Boyds; tackle Darwin Wile; and guard Bill Swinford.
Harvard played its home games at Harvard Stadium in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| attend = y
| atvs = y
| source = y
| poll = AP
| rankyear = 1961
| September 30 | | Lehigh
| Harvard Stadium | Boston, MA | L 17-22
| 11,000 | {{cite news |title=Lehigh Sets Back Harvard, 22 to 17, on 2 Late Passes |date=October 1, 1961 |page=S7 |newspaper=The New York Times |location=New York, N.Y.}}
| October 7 | | Cornell
| Harvard Stadium | Boston, MA | W 14-0
| 11,000 | {{cite news |title=Harvard Blanks Cornell, 14-0, in Upset; Halaby Scores Twice for Crimson |first=Michael |last=Strauss |date=October 8, 1961 |page=S1 |newspaper=The New York Times |location=New York, N.Y.}}
| October 14 | | Colgate
| Harvard Stadium | Boston, MA | L 0-15
| 12,000 | {{cite news |title=Colgate's Rushing Tops Harvard, 15-0 |first=Howard M. |last=Tuckner |date=October 15, 1961 |page=S1 |newspaper=The New York Times |location=New York, N.Y.}}
| October 21 | | Columbia
| Harvard Stadium | Boston, MA | L 14-26
| 11,000 | {{cite news |title=Columbia Wins; Lions Score, 26-14 |first=Lincoln A. |last=Werden |date=October 22, 1961 |page=S1 |newspaper=The New York Times |location=New York, N.Y.}}
| October 28 | | Dartmouth
| Harvard Stadium | Boston, MA (rivalry) | W 21-15
| 32,500 | {{cite news |title=Harvard Halts Dartmouth, 21-15; 32,500 See Upset |first=Gordon S. Jr. |last=White |date=October 29, 1961 |page=S1 |newspaper=The New York Times |location=New York, N.Y.}}
| November 4 | @ | Penn
| Franklin Field | Philadelphia, PA (rivalry) | W 37-6
| 15,345 | {{cite news |title=Harvard Running Trims Penn, 37-6, in 3d Ivy Victory |first=Louis |last=Effrat |date=November 5, 1961 |page=S1 |newspaper=The New York Times |location=New York, N.Y.}}
| November 11 | | Princeton
| Harvard Stadium | Boston, MA (rivalry) | W 9-7
| 30,000 | {{cite news |title=Harvard Wins, 9-7; Princeton Loses |first=Joseph M. |last=Sheehan |date=November 12, 1961 |page=S1 |newspaper=The New York Times |location=New York, N.Y.}}
| November 18 | | Brown
| Harvard Stadium | Boston, MA | W 21-6
| 10,000 | {{cite news |title=Harvard Tops Brown, 21-6; Crimson Runners Excel |first=Gordon S. Jr. |last=White |date=November 19, 1961 |page=S1 |newspaper=The New York Times |location=New York, N.Y.}}
| November 25 | @ | Yale
| Yale Bowl | New Haven, CT (The Game) | W 27-0
| 61,789 | {{cite news |title=Harvard Crushes Yale, 27-0, and Ties for Ivy Title; 61,789 at Bowl |first=Allison |last=Danzig |date=November 26, 1961 |page=S1 |newspaper=The New York Times |location=New York, N.Y.}}
}}
Statistics
The 1961 Crimson gained an average of 215.3 rushing yards and 32.7 passing yards per game. On defense, they held opponents to 152.2 rushing yards and 78.7 passing yards per game.{{cite web|title=1961 Harvard Crimson Stats|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|accessdate=September 16, 2024|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/harvard/1961.html}}
In their run-oriented offense, Harvard had eight players who rushed for at least 100 yards. Bill Grana led the group with 431 yards on 94 carries for a 4.6-yard average. He was followed by Bill Taylor (350 yards, 79 carries, 4.4-yard average), Ted Halaby (288 yards, 51 carries, 5.6-yard average), Mike Bassett (174 yards, 44 carries, 4.0-yard average), and Chuck Reed (169 yards, 42 carries, 4.0-yard average).
The team's passing leaders were Bill Humenuk (13-for-31, 195 yards) and Mike Bassett (13-for-40, 125 yards). The leading receivers were Pete Hart (five receptions, 64 yards) and Bill Taylor (seven receptions, 58 yards).
Awards and honors
Three Harvard players received first-team honors on the 1961 All All-Ivy football team: end Bob Boyds; tackle Darwin Wile; and guard Bill Swinford.{{cite news|title=Columbia Lands 4 On Ivy Team|newspaper=The Record|date=November 27, 1961|page=32|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-columbia-lands-4-on-ivy-team/155428607/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Players
- Mike Bassett, quarterback, sophomore, 5'11", 175 pounds
- Tom Boone, halfback, junior, 6'0", 190 pounds
- Bob Boyds (#82), end, senior, 6'1", 203 pounds, Carnegie, PA
- Tom Gaston (#65), guard, senior, 6'1", 205 pounds
- Bill Grana, fullback, sophomore, 5'11", 195 pounds, St. Louis, MO
- Ted Halaby, quarterback, senior, 5'10", 175 pounds, Rochester, NY
- Alex W. "Pete" Hart, end and captain, senior, 6'2", 215 pounds
- Bill Humenuk, quarterback, sophomore, 6'2", 185 pounds, Philadelphia, PA
- Chuck Reed, halfback
- Mike Sheridan, tackle
- Ed Smith (#78), tackle, 6'3", 215 pounds
- Bill Swinford (#61), guard, senior, 5'10", 180 pounds, Oklahoma City
- Bill Taylor, halfback, junior, 6'0", 190 pounds
- Tony Watters, center, senior, 6'2", 195 pounds
- Darwin Wile (#76), tackle, senior, 6'0", 215 pounds, Middletown, PA
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Harvard Crimson football navbox}}
{{Ivy League football champions}}
Category:Harvard Crimson football seasons