Hall of Fame
1961 FOOTBALL TEAM
The 1961 Utah State Football team tied the school record for wins as it posted a 9-1-1 record and shared the Skyline Conference Championship with a 4-0-1 record. Utah State culminated its season by playing in the Gotham Bowl in New York City. USU averaged 38.7 points per game to rank first in the nation and was a school record until 2018. USU rushed for 280.8 yards per game, a mark that still ranks third all-time in school history. Defensively, USU allowed just 7.8 points per game, which ranked top 10 in the nation, and ranks second all-time in program history. The 1961 team allowed 139.4 yards of total offense per game, including 50.8 rushing yards and 88.6 passing yards, all of which are still school records today. Defensively, USU held eight of its 11 opponents to 10 or fewer points. USU was nationally ranked during 10 weeks during the season and finished the year ranked No. 10 in both the Associated Press and UPI polls, the highest ranking in program history. At least seven players from the 1961 roster went on to careers in the NFL, including first-round picks Merlin Olsen (3rd overall) and Bill Munson (7th overall). Olsen was named a Consensus All-American and winner of the prestigious Outland Trophy as the nation’s best interior lineman.
