CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

1961 Kansas

7–⁠3–⁠1 (5–⁠2 Big Eight), coached by Jack Mitchell.

Schedule and results

Kansas in 1961, game by game: lost at TCU 16–17; tied vs. Wyoming 6–6; lost at Colorado 19–20; won vs. Iowa State 21–7; won at Oklahoma 10–0; won vs. Oklahoma State 42–8; won at Nebraska 28–6; won vs. Kansas State 34–0; won at California 53–7; lost vs. Missouri 7–10; won vs. Rice 33–7+46−3Lost 16–17 at TCU-1TCUTied 6–6 vs. Wyoming0WyomingLost 19–20 at Colorado-1ColoradoWon 21–7 vs. Iowa State+14Iowa StateWon 10–0 at Oklahoma+10OklahomaWon 42–8 vs. Oklahoma State+34Oklahoma StateWon 28–6 at Nebraska+22NebraskaWon 34–0 vs. Kansas State+34Kansas StateWon 53–7 at California+46CaliforniaLost 7–10 vs. Missouri-3MissouriWon 33–7 vs. Rice+26Rice
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below.
DateOpponentResultElo
Sep 23atTCUL 16–⁠1751%
Sep 30vsWyomingT 6–⁠654%
Oct 7atColoradoL 19–⁠2052%
Oct 14vsIowa StateW 21–⁠759%
Oct 21atOklahomaW 10–⁠065%
Oct 28vsOklahoma StateW 42–⁠878%
Nov 4atNebraskaW 28–⁠672%
Nov 11vsKansas StateW 34–⁠092%
Nov 18atCaliforniaW 53–⁠779%
Nov 25vsMissouriL 7–⁠1063%
Dec 16Bowls & playoffvsRiceBluebonnet BowlW 33–⁠755%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Beat Rice 33–⁠7 in the Bluebonnet Bowl; unranked in the final AP poll; tied for 2nd in the Big Eight.

In program history: The 2nd-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 131 on file).

AP poll, week by week

  1. Wk 1: 8
  2. Wk 10: 10

Players on this team

Before 2004 our records hold honors and the draft; these are the players whose college years here, from their Wikipedia articles or their honors, include 1961.

Record
7–⁠3–⁠1
Conference
5–⁠2 tied for 2nd in Big Eight
AP final
Unranked peak No. 8
Points
269–⁠88
Coach
Jack Mitchell
Elo
1697 +83 this season
SP+ rating
—
SRS
21.0 No. 7 of 111 major-college teams
Recruiting class
—

Drafted in 1962

The 1962 draft
Rd 1John Hadl BDetroit Lions
Rd 7Bert Coan RBWashington Redskins
Rd 3John Hadl QBSan Diego Chargers (AFL)

All-Big Eight

2 first team, 2 second team

First team

  • John HadlBAP-1; UPI-1
  • Curtis McClintonBAP-1; UPI-1

Second team

  • Elvin BashamOGAP-2; UPI-2
  • Kent StaabCAP-2; UPI-2

From Wikipedia’s 1961 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1961 Big Eight standings

TeamConf.OverallAP final
Colorado7–⁠09–⁠27
Missouri5–⁠27–⁠2–⁠111
Kansas5–⁠27–⁠3–⁠1
Oklahoma4–⁠35–⁠5
Iowa State3–⁠45–⁠5
Oklahoma State2–⁠54–⁠6
Nebraska2–⁠53–⁠6–⁠1
Kansas State0–⁠72–⁠8

Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.