1961 Kansas Jayhawks football team

American college football season

1961 Kansas Jayhawks football

Bluebonnet Bowl champion

Bluebonnet Bowl, W 33–7 vs. Rice

Conference| Big Eight Conference
Ranking
Coaches| No. 15
Record| 7–3–1 (5–2 Big 8)
Head coach|

* Jack Mitchell (4th season)

Home stadium| Memorial Stadium

Seasons

<- 1960

1962 ->

1961 Big Eight Conference football standings

* v
* t
* e

| 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 Kansas Jayhawks football team represented the University of Kansas in the Big Eight Conference during the 1961 college football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Jack Mitchell, the Jayhawks outscored their opponents 269 to 88. They finished the regular season at 6–3–1 (5–2 in Big 8, second),[1] and won the Bluebonnet Bowl 33–7 over host Rice.[2]

Senior quarterback John Hadl received 33 first place votes in the Heisman Trophy balloting; he was the first Jayhawk to receive Heisman votes and was seventh in the balloting. He was the tenth overall pick in the NFL draft, selected by the Detroit Lions, but chose to sign with the San Diego Chargers of the American Football League.

## Schedule

[edit]

Date| Opponent| Rank| Site| TV| Result| Attendance

|
|
|
|
|
|

September 23| at TCU*| No. 8|

* Amon G. Carter Stadium
* Fort Worth, TX

| | L 16–17| 27,000
September 30| Wyoming*| |

* Memorial Stadium
* Lawrence, KS

| | T 6–6| 33,000
October 7| at Colorado| |

* Folsom Field
* Boulder, CO

| | L 19–20| 42,700
October 14| Iowa State| |

* Memorial Stadium
* Lawrence, KS

| | W 21–7| 32,176
October 21| at Oklahoma| |

* Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
* Norman, OK

| | W 10–0| 54,794
October 28| Oklahoma State| |

* Memorial Stadium
* Lawrence, KS

| | W 42–8| 25,000
November 4| at Nebraska| |

* Memorial Stadium
* Lincoln, NE (rivalry)

| | W 28–6| 32,450
November 11| Kansas State| |

* Memorial Stadium
* Lawrence, KS (rivalry)

| | W 34–0| 34,000
November 18| at California*| |

* California Memorial Stadium
* Berkeley, CA

| | W 53–7| 30,000
November 25| Missouri| No. 10|

* Memorial Stadium
* Lawrence, KS (Border War)

| | L 7–10| 40,500
December 17| vs. Rice*| |

* Rice Stadium
* Houston, TX (Bluebonnet Bowl)

| CBS| W 33–7| 52,000

* *Non-conference game
* Homecoming
* Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

## 1962 NFL Draft

[edit]

Player | Round | Pick | Position | Club

|
|
|
|

John Hadl | 1 | 10 | Quarterback | Detroit Lions
Bert Coan | 7 | 85 | Running back | Washington Redskins
Roger McFarland | 20 | 274 | Back | San Francisco 49ers

[3]

## Awards and honors

[edit]

* John Hadl, All-American, finished 7th in Heisman Trophy voting
* Curtis McClinton, All-American

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Morey, Earl (November 27, 1961). "MU defense great in big win over KU". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). p. 8.
2. ^ Mayer, Bill (December 18, 1961). "Dedicated, jubilant Hawks throw off bad effects and end season on strong note". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). p. 16.
3. ^ "Reference at www.pro-football-reference.com".

* v
* t
* e

Kansas Jayhawks football

Venues|

* McCook Field (1892–1920)
* David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium (1921–2023, 2025–future)
* Arrowhead Stadium (2024)
* Children's Mercy Park (2024)

Bowls & rivalries|

* Bowl games
* Kansas State: Sunflower Showdown
* Missouri: Border War
* Nebraska

Culture & lore|

* Big Jay
* Baby Jay
* "I'm a Jayhawk"
* Marching Jayhawks
* Aggieville riots
* Timeline of football in Kansas
* First game in Kansas
* 1911 Missouri game

People|

* Head coaches
* NFL draftees
* Statistical leaders

Seasons|

* 1890
* 1891
* 1892
* 1893
* 1894
* 1895
* 1896
* 1897
* 1898
* 1899
* 1900
* 1901
* 1902
* 1903
* 1904
* 1905
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* 1907
* 1908
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* 1910
* 1911
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* 1917
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* 1925
* 1926
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* 1928
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* 1931
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* 1933
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* 1935
* 1936
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* 1938
* 1939
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* 1941
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* 1944
* 1945
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
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* 1954
* 1955
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* 1957
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* 1960
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* 1969
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* 1975
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* 2024

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Conf]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[T]: Ties
*[No.]: Number