1961 Florida Gators football
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Record4–5–1 (3–3 SEC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorPepper Rodgers (2nd season)
Home stadiumFlorida Field
Seasons
← 1960
1962 →
1961 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 1 Alabama + 7 – 0 – 0 11 – 0 – 0
No. 4 LSU + 6 – 0 – 0 10 – 1 – 0
No. 5 Ole Miss 5 – 1 – 0 9 – 2 – 0
No. 13 Georgia Tech 4 – 3 – 0 7 – 4 – 0
Tennessee 4 – 3 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
Florida 3 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 1
Auburn 3 – 4 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
Kentucky 2 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Georgia 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
Mississippi State 1 – 5 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Tulane 1 – 5 – 0 2 – 8 – 0
Vanderbilt 1 – 6 – 0 2 – 8 – 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1961 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1961 NCAA University Division football season. The season was Ray Graves' second as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team, and the Gators posted their only losing season in Graves' ten years as their coach. Graves' 1961 Florida Gators finished with a 4–5–1 overall record and a 3–3 record in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), placing sixth among the twelve SEC teams.[1]

Before the season

The Gators attempted LSU coach Paul Dietzel's three-platoon system.[2]

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 23Clemson*
W 21–742,000[3]
September 30Florida State*
  • Florida Field
  • Gainesville, FL (rivalry)
T 3–346,000[4]
October 6at Tulane
W 14–330,000[5]
October 14at Rice*
L 10–1932,000[6]
October 21at Vanderbilt
W 7–018,000[7]
October 28No. 7 LSUdagger
  • Florida Field
  • Gainesville, FL (rivalry)
L 0–2346,000[8]
November 4at No. 7 Georgia Tech
L 0–2044,940[9]
November 11vs. Georgia
W 21–1447,000[10]
November 25at Auburn
L 15–3233,000[11]
December 2Miami (FL)*
  • Florida Field
  • Gainesville, FL (rivalry)
L 6–1542,000[12]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[1][13]

References

  1. ^ a b 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived 2015-12-08 at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, p. 107 (2015). Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  2. ^ Golenbock 2002, p. 147
  3. ^ "Libertore, Infante lead Florida". Pensacola News Journal. September 24, 1961. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "FSU gets biggest kick out of 3–3 'victory'". St. Petersburg Times. October 1, 1961. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Young Gators play Tulane executioners". The Tampa Tribune. October 7, 1961. Retrieved September 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Owl pass thefts, power runs rip Florida by 19–10". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. October 14, 1961. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Gators eke out 7–0 win over Vanderbilt". Fort Myers News-Press. October 22, 1961. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "High ranked Tigers convince Gators with 23–0 win". The Tampa Tribune. October 29, 1961. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Revenge-minded Jackets thumo Florida, 20–0". The Orlando Sentinel. November 6, 1961. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Florida stages rally in last 5 minutes, trims Georgia by 21–14". Chattanooga Sunday Times. November 12, 1961. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Auburn wins wiers tilt from Florida by 32–15". The Selma Times-Journal. November 26, 1961. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Mira cranks up, Miami gets win". The Nashville Tennessean. December 3, 1961. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Department of Sports Publicity. "University of Florida 1962 Football Brochure" (PDF). floridagators.com. University Athletic Association, Inc. Retrieved March 15, 2018.

Bibliography

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