1961 South Carolina Gamecocks football team

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1961 South Carolina Gamecocks football
ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference
Record4–6 (3–4 ACC)
Head coach
CaptainDave Adam, Dave Sowell
Home stadiumCarolina Stadium
Seasons
← 1960
1962 →
1961 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 20 Duke $   5 – 1     7 – 3  
North Carolina   4 – 3     5 – 5  
Maryland   3 – 3     7 – 3  
Clemson   3 – 3     5 – 5  
NC State   3 – 4     4 – 6  
South Carolina   3 – 4     4 – 6  
Wake Forest   3 – 4     4 – 6  
Virginia   2 – 4     4 – 6  
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll[1]

The 1961 South Carolina Gamecocks football team was an American football team that represented the University of South Carolina as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) during the 1961 college football season. In their first of five years under head coach Marvin Bass, the Gamecocks compiled a 4–6 record (3–4 in conference games), finished in a three-way tie for fifth place in the ACC, and were outscored by a total of 187 to 128.[2]

South Carolina's 21–14 upset victory over in-state rival Clemson, including Jim Costen's fumble recovery and 27-yard return for touchdown, was chosen as the biggest amateur sporting event of 1961 in South Carolina.[3] After the season, coach Bass said the team did not have the "depth, size or experience" to compete with most of its opponents, but "had great morale, 110 per cent performances and more mental and physical guts than any coach has a right to expect."[4]

The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Jim Costen (764 passing yards, second most in the ACC), Dick Day (400 rushing yards, second most in the ACC), and John Caskey (309 receiving yards). Tackle Jim Moss was selected as the ACC's lineman of the year for 1961. Guard Dave Adams and quarterback Dave Sowell were the team captains.

The team played its home games at Carolina Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina.

Schedule

[edit]
DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 23Duke
L 6–735,000[5]
September 30at Wake Forest
W 10–712,000[6]
October 7at Georgia*
L 14–1730,000[7]
October 14LSU*
  • Carolina Stadium
  • Columbia, SC
L 0–4228,000[8]
October 21North Carolina
  • Carolina Stadium
  • Columbia, SC (rivalry)
L 0–1716,000[9][10][11]
October 28Maryland
  • Carolina Stadium
  • Columbia, SC
W 20–1019,000[12]
November 4at Virginia
L 20–2818,000[13]
November 11Clemson
  • Carolina Stadium
  • Columbia, SC (rivalry)
W 21–1444,000[14]
November 18at NC State
L 14–3816,000[15]
November 25at Vanderbilt*
W 23–712,500[16]
  • *Non-conference game

[17]

Statistics

[edit]

The team tallied 2,348 yards of total offense, consisting of 1,374 rushing yards (137.4 per game) and 974 passing yards (97.4 per game).[18]

Quarterback Jim Costen completed 61 of 146 passes (41.8%) for 764 yards, three touchdowns, nine interceptions, and an 80.2 quarterback rating.[19] He ranked second in the ACC in passing yards behind Roman Gabriel. He also rushed for 151 yards on 72 carries (2.1 yards per carry), giving him 937 yards of total offense.[20]

Fullback Dick Day led the team, and ranked second in the ACC, with 400 rushing yards on 100 carries, an average of 4.0 yards per carry.[20]

Halfback Billy Gambrell led the team in scoring with 32 points on five touchdowns and two point-after-touchdown kicks. Gambrell ranked second on the team and sixth in the ACC with 327 rushing yards on 75 carries for an average of 4.4 yards per carry.[20][18] He also led the team in receptions with 24, tallying 241 yards and 10.0 yards per reception.[19] He also completed two passes for 44 yards, giving him a combined 614 yards of rushing, receiving and passing yards.[18]

End John Caskey led the team in passing yards with 309 on 16 carries for an average of 19.3 yards per reception.[19]

Dean Findley was the team's kicker, tallying 24 points on four field goals and 12 point-after-touchdown kicks.[18]

Sammy Anderson led the team in punt returns, having three returns for 117 yards, an average fo 39.0 yards per return.[18]

Awards and honors

[edit]

Guard Dave Adams and quarterback Dave Sowell were selected as the team captains.[21]

Junior tackle Jim Moss was the only South Carolina player named to the first team on the 1961 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team.[22] Moss was also selected as the ACC's lineman of the year for 1961.[23] Halfback Billy Gambrell received second team All-ACC honors.[22]

Moss also received 110 out of a possible 115 points in the voting for the 1961 South Carolina all-state football team. Also selected to the first team were halfback Billy Gambrell (100 points) and end John Caskey. Center Dick Lomas and back Dick May were named to the second team.[24]

Quarterback Jim Costen was selected as a defensive back by the Washington Redskins in the 14th round of the 1962 NFL draft.[25]

Personnel

[edit]

Players

[edit]
Head coach Marvin Bass with co-captains Dave Sowell and Dave Adams
Quarterback Jim Costen
  • Dave Adams, guard and co-captain, 6'1", 195 pounds, senior
  • Sammy Anderson, halfback and punt returns, 5'9", 160 pounds, sophomore, North Augusta, SC
  • John Caskey, end, 6'1", 195 pounds, junior, Columbia, SC
  • Jim Costen, quarterback, 6'0", 180 pounds, senior, Myrtle Beach, SC
  • Henry Crosby, halfback, 5'8", 157 pounds, senior
  • Dick Day, fullback, 6'0", 190 pounds, junior, North Augusta, SC
  • Bob Drost, end, 6'4", 220 pounds, senior
  • Dean Findley, end and placekicker, junior, Anderson, SC
  • Billy Gambrell, halfback, 5'10", junior, Athens, GA
  • Joel Goodrich, 6'2", 220 pounds, junior
  • Carl Huggins, fullback, 6'0", 210 pounds, junior
  • Harold Jones, guard, 6'0", 200 pounds, junior
  • John Jones, guard, 6'2", 220 pounds
  • Ken Lester, end, 6'2", 205 pounds, junior
  • Dick Lomas, center, 6'0", 200 pounds, junior, Greenwood, SC
  • Jack Morris, halfback, 5'11", 165 pounds, senior
  • Jim Moss, tackle, 6'3", 205 pounds, junior
  • Tommy Pilcher, quarterback, 5'9", 140 pounds, junior
  • Dick Sowell, quarterback and co-captain, 6'0", 175 pounds, senior, Cheraw, SC
  • Frank Staley, tackle, 6'2", 220 pounds, senior, North Augusta, SC
  • Clark Waring, center, 6'1", 200 pounds, senior
  • Charlie Williams, halfback, 5'8", 180 pounds, junior

[26][4]

Coaches

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "1961 Atlantic Coast Conference Year Summary". sports-reference.com. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
  2. ^ "1961 South Carolina Gamecocks Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  3. ^ "Segal, Short In Top News In S.C." The Greenville News. December 17, 1961. p. C3 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b "Marvin Bass Looks To '62". The Times and Democrat. November 28, 1961. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Duke scores in last 2 minutes, edges USC". The Times and Democrat. September 24, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "South Carolina edges Deacons, 10–7, on field goal by Findley". Daily Press. October 1, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Georgia rallies to top Gamecocks, 17–14". The Times and Democrat. October 8, 1961. Retrieved October 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "LSU tallies in every period, trounces USC". The Times and Democrat. October 15, 1961. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Bob Talbert (October 22, 1961). "Tar Heels Win Ho-Hum Game From USC, 17-0: Gamecocks Clobbered". The State. pp. 1B, 5B – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Wilt Browning (October 22, 1961). "Addison, Carson Spearhead Tar Heels 17-0 Win". The Greenville News. Greenville, South Carolina – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Tarheels pin Gamecocks, 17–0". Durham Morning Herald. October 22, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "South Carolina surprises Maryland with 20–10 win". Winston-Salem Journal & Sentinel. October 29, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Cavaliers surprise S.C." The Daily News Leader. November 5, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Carolina Wins Thriller Over Clemson, 21-14". The Greenville News. November 12, 1961. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Gabe leads State over S.C., 38–14". Winston-Salem Journal & Sentinel. November 19, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "South Carolina smacks Vanderbilt, 23–7". The Commercial Appeal. November 26, 1961. Retrieved October 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "1961 Football Schedule". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  18. ^ a b c d e "Gambrell, Day Top Gainers For Gamecocks". The Columbia Record. November 30, 1961. p. 9C – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ a b c "1961 South Carolina Gamecocks Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  20. ^ a b c "It'll Take Big Effort To Unseat Gave, White". The Item. November 28, 1961. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Adam, Sowell USC Captains". The Greenville News. September 1, 1961. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ a b "South Carolina Has Two On All-ACC Dream Team". The Columbia Record. November 30, 1961. p. 9C – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ Garnet and Black 1962 (University of South Carolina yearbook), p. 354.
  24. ^ "Moss, Campbell Head All-State". The Greenville News. December 3, 1961. p. C3 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ Jeff Denberg (December 12, 1961). "'Skins Sign Costen As Defensive Back". The State. p. 5B – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ "Over-All Picture Looks Good At Carolina". The Index-Journal. September 1, 1961. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ 1962 Garnet and Black (University of South Carolina yearbook), p. 342.
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