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1961 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team

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1961 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football
ConferenceMiddle Atlantic Conference
DivisionUniversity Division
Record4–4 (3–2 MAC)
Head coach
CaptainBill Grossman (injured)
John Scholato (acting)
Home stadiumDelaware Stadium
Seasons
← 1960
1962 →
1961 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
University Division
No. 15 Rutgers x 4 – 0 – 0 9 – 0 – 0
Bucknell 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Delaware 3 – 2 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
No. 6 Lehigh 3 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Gettysburg 2 – 2 – 1 3 – 5 – 1
Temple 1 – 2 – 2 2 – 5 – 2
Lafayette 1 – 5 – 1 2 – 6 – 1
Muhlenberg 0 – 4 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Northern College Division
Susquehanna x 6 – 0 – 0 8 – 0 – 1
Albright 4 – 0 – 1 7 – 0 – 1
Moravian 4 – 1 – 1 4 – 3 – 1
Wagner 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Lycoming 1 – 3 – 1 1 – 6 – 1
Wilkes 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 6 – 0
Hofstra * 2 – 0 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Juniata * 1 – 2 – 0 3 – 4 – 0
Upsala * 0 – 4 – 0 0 – 7 – 0
Southern College Division
Lebanon Valley x 5 – 1 – 0 6 – 1 – 0
Swarthmore 4 – 2 – 0 5 – 2 – 0
Western Maryland 4 – 2 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Dickinson 5 – 3 – 0 5 – 3 – 0
Pennsylvania Military 5 – 3 – 0 6 – 3 – 0
Johns Hopkins 2 – 3 – 1 3 – 4 – 1
Ursinus 2 – 5 – 0 2 – 5 – 0
Drexel 1 – 5 – 1 2 – 5 – 1
Haverford 0 – 6 – 1 0 – 6 – 1
West Chester * 0 – 0 – 0 7 – 2 – 0
Franklin & Marshall * 0 – 3 – 0 1 – 7 – 0
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • * – Ineligible for championship due to insufficient conference games
Rankings from major college AP poll for Rutgers and small college AP poll for Lehigh

The 1961 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team was an American football team that represented the University of Delaware in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) during the 1961 college football season. In its 11th season under head coach David M. Nelson, the team compiled a 4–4 record (3–2 in MAC games), tied for third place in the MAC University Division, and outscored opponents by a total of 161 to 98.[1]

Sophomore halfback Mike Brown led the team in both rushing (404 yards) and scoring (seven touchdowns). Three Delaware players were selected as first-team players on the 1961 All-MAC football team: center/linebacker Johnny Scholato; halfback Karl Lorenz; and guard Earl Ritchie.

The team played its home games at Delaware Stadium in Newark, Delaware.

Schedule

[edit]
DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 23Lehigh
W 14–67,000–7,100[2]
September 30Buffalo*
  • Delaware Stadium
  • Newark, DE
W 36–126,200–7,000[3]
October 7at LafayetteNo. 8
W 34–06,000[4]
October 14at Hofstra*No. 5
L 0–144,200–6,000[5][6]
October 28Ohio*dagger
  • Delaware Stadium
  • Newark, DE
L 16–178,750[7]
November 4Temple
  • Delaware Stadium
  • Newark, DE
W 28–06,200[8]
November 11at RutgersNo. 12
L 19–2722,000[9]
November 18at Bucknell
L 14–226,000[10]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from UPI Coaches Poll released prior to the game

[1]

Statistics

[edit]

Delware tallied 2,245 yards of total offense (280.5 per game), consisting of 1,524 rushing yards (190.5 per game) and 720 passing yards (90 per game). On defense, the team gave up 1,624 yards (204.4 per game), including 813 rushing yards and 811 passing yards.[1]

Sophomore halfback Mike Brown led the team in rushing with 404 yards in 89 carries for an average of 4.5 yards per carry. A sprinter for the track team, Brown was the fastest man on the team. The team's other rushing leaders were Joe Slobojan (354 yards, 89 carries), Johnny Wallace (201 yards), and Karl Lorenz (177 yards).[11]

Brown also led the team in scoring with seven touchdowns, including one on an interception returned for a score. The other scoring leaders were Slobojan (30 points) and Wallace (23 points).[11]

Quarterback Ted Kempski led the team in passing, completing 40 of 85 pases for 606 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.r[11]

The team's receiving leaders were end Ollie Baker (165 yards, six catchers), end Dick Broadbent (132 yards, 10 receptions), end Barry Fetterman (118 yards, eight reception), and Johnny Wallace (100 yards, five receptions).[11]

End Arnie Rozental led the team in punting with 37 punts for 1,314 yards (36.5 yards per punt).[11]

Awards

[edit]

Tackle Bill Grossman was selected as the 1961 team captain, but he sustained an eye injury in the opening game and missed the remainder of the season. Center and linebacker John Scholato served as acting team captains in several games following the injury to Grossman.[12]

Three Delaware players were selected as first-team players on the 1961 All-MAC football team: center/linebacker Johnny Scholato; halfback Karl Lorenz; and guard Earl Ritchie. Halfback Mike Brown was named to the second team. Honorable mention was given to end Dick Broadbend, tackles Dick Evers and Paul Chesmore, guard Jim Quirk, and backs Ted Kempski, Joe Slobojan, and John Wallace.[13]

Ted Kempski was later inducted into the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame.

Players

[edit]

The following 30 players received varsity letters for their participation in the 1961 Delaware football team:

  1. Oliver Baker, senior
  2. Robert Brayer, senior
  3. Richard Broadbent, senior
  4. Michael Brown, sophomore
  5. Paul Chesmore, junior
  6. Arthur Coury, senior
  7. Robert Dowling, junior
  8. Theodore Elder, senior
  9. Richard Evers, sophomore
  10. Barry Fetterman, senior
  11. William Grossman, senior
  12. Thomas Harrison, sophomore
  13. Gary Hebert, senior
  14. Theodore Kempski, junior
  15. Karl Lorenz, junior
  16. Ronald McCoy, junior
  17. Thomas Michaels, junior
  18. Leonard Nelson, senior
  19. Raymond Otlowski, senior
  20. James Quirk, junior
  21. William Regan, senior
  22. Earl Ritchie, senior
  23. Arnie Rozental, sophomore
  24. John Scholato, junior
  25. Kenneth Schroeck, senior
  26. Thomas Skidmore, senior
  27. Joseph Slobojan, junior
  28. John Wallace, sophomore
  29. Clinton Ware, junior
  30. Charles Zolak, sophomore

[14]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics (Delaware)". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  2. ^ Katzman, Izzy (September 25, 1961). "Second Team Credited with Sparking U. of D. Victory". Evening Journal. Wilmington, Del. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Kelley, Bob (October 2, 1961). "Buffalo Battered by Hens, 36 to 12". Wilmington Morning News. Wilmington, Del. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ McCarron, Joe (October 8, 1961). "Delaware Coasts, 34-0, over Smaller Lafayette". Sunday Call-Chronicle. Allentown, Pa. p. D1 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Cartwright, Al (October 16, 1961). "Hens Baited, Chuckles Hofstra". Evening Journal. Wilmington, Del. p. 29 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics (Hofstra)". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
  7. ^ Kelley, Bob (October 30, 1961). "48-Yard Goal Fatal to Hens". Wilmington Morning News. Wilmington, Del. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Katzman, Izzy (November 6, 1961). "Blue Hens Set Home Gate Mark". Evening Journal. Wilmington, Del. p. 29 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Good, Herb (November 12, 1961). "Rutgers Trips Delaware for MAC Title". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pa. p. S1 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Katzman, Izzy (November 20, 1961). "Brown Finishes Second in Ball-Toting". Evening Journal. Wilmington, Del. p. 35 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Hens' Rushing, Scoring Titles Won by Brown". The News Journal. November 21, 1961. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Scholato Will Captain Delaware Through 9-Game Season in 1962". Wilmington Evening Journal. November 29, 1961. p. 38 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Delaware Puts 3 on All-Conference". Wilmington Evening Journal. December 11, 1961. p. 35 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Varsity D's Await 50 Blue Hens". Wilmington Morning News. December 6, 1961. p. 49 – via Newspapers.com.
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