1961 Colorado Buffaloes football team

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1961 Colorado Buffaloes football
Big 8 champion
Orange Bowl, L 7–25 vs. LSU
ConferenceBig Eight Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 7
APNo. 7
Record9–2 (7–0 Big 8)
Head coach
MVPJoe Romig
CaptainJoe Romig
Home stadiumFolsom Field
Seasons
← 1960
1962 →
1961 Big Eight Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 7 Colorado $ 7 – 0 – 0 9 – 2 – 0
No. 11 Missouri 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 1
Kansas 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 1
Oklahoma 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Iowa State 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Oklahoma State 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Nebraska 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 6 – 1
Kansas State 0 – 7 – 0 2 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1961 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado at Boulder as a member of the Big Eight Conference during the 1961 NCAA University Division football season. Led by third-year head coach Sonny Grandelius, Colorado finished the regular season at 9–1 (7–0 in Big 8),[1] and played home games on campus at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado. Joe Romig was the team's captain.[2]

As in the previous year, Colorado defeated both Oklahoma and Nebraska; they did not defeat both in the same season again for 28 years. The Buffaloes won their first Big Eight title and were invited to the Orange Bowl in Miami, but lost 25–7 to fourth-ranked LSU on New Year's Day.

In March 1962, Grandelius was fired by the university regents for recruiting violations, primarily due to the operation of a slush fund for players and families.[3][4] Ten days later, alumni director Bud Davis was hired as the interim head coach;[5][6][7][8][9] he had no collegiate coaching experience, just five years as a high school head coach.[5][7][8] A month later, the NCAA put Colorado's football program on probation for two years; because the university began the investigation and took action, the penalties were relatively light.[10][11][12]

Schedule[edit]

DateOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 30Oklahoma State
W 24–040,000
October 7Kansas
  • Folsom Field
  • Boulder, CO
W 20–1942,700
October 13at Miami (FL)*
W 9–740,393
October 21at Kansas StateNo. 9
W 13–012,500
October 28at OklahomaNo. 10
W 22–1445,117
November 4No. 10 MissouridaggerNo. 8
  • Folsom Field
  • Boulder, CO
W 7–643,000
November 11Utah*No. 8
L 12–2125,000
November 18at NebraskaNo. 8
W 7–028,108
November 25Iowa StateNo. 7
  • Folsom Field
  • Boulder, CO
W 34–030,399
December 2Air Force*No. 7
  • Folsom Field
  • Boulder, CO
W 29–1223,287[13]
January 1, 1962vs. No. 4 LSU*No. 7
ABCL 7–2562,391[14][15][16]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[17][18][19]

Coaching staff[edit]

  • Sonny Grandelius (head coach)
  • Hohn Polonchek (assistant head coach)
  • Chuck Boerio (linebackers)[20]
  • Bob Ghilotti (ends)[20]
  • Buck Nystrom (line)

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Buffs win humbly, 56-14". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. November 20, 1988. p. 5B.
  2. ^ "Team Captain". Independent Record. Helena, Montana. Associated Press. December 2, 1960. p. 8. Retrieved July 28, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Colorado fires football coach". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 18, 1962. p. 4B.
  4. ^ "Regents fire Buff's coach Grandelius". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. March 18, 1962. p. 1, sports.
  5. ^ a b "Alum chief is Buff coach, players threaten a revolt". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. March 27, 1962. p. 9.
  6. ^ "Alumni leader new Colorado football coach". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. March 28, 1962. p. 8.
  7. ^ a b "Davis named grid coach at Colorado". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 28, 1962. p. 2B.
  8. ^ a b Meakins, Gene (March 28, 1962). "Colorado coach seeks team support". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). UPI. p. B7.
  9. ^ "Colorado Football Media Guide" (PDF). Retrieved January 9, 2007.
  10. ^ "Colorado given a 2-year slap by ruling body". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. April 28, 1962. p. 9.
  11. ^ "NCAA puts Colorado on probation". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. April 28, 1962. p. 1B.
  12. ^ "Colorado put on probation, patted on back". Bend Bulletin. (Oregon). UPI. April 28, 1962. p. 2.
  13. ^ "Colorado zooms into Orange Bowl". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. December 3, 1961. p. 3, sports.
  14. ^ "LSU wallops Colorado, 25-7". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. January 2, 1962. p. 3B.
  15. ^ Taylor, Charles E. (January 2, 1962). "LSU is 25-7 winner". Youngstown Vindicator. (Ohio). UPI. p. 9.
  16. ^ "LSU spanks Colorado in Orange Bowl". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. January 2, 1963. p. 14.
  17. ^ "1961 Colorado Buffaloes Schedule and Results". College Football @ Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  18. ^ "1961 Football Schedule". University of Colorado Boulder. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  19. ^ "Colorado Football 2023 Record Book" (PDF). University of Colorado Boulder. p. 30. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  20. ^ a b "Grandelius' future is hazy and two aides laud action". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. March 19, 1962. p. 11.


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