1961 Akron Zips football team

1961 Akron Zips football
Conference	Ohio Athletic Conference
Record	6–2 (6–1 OAC)
Head coach	Gordon K. Larson (1st season)
Captain	Jim Lupori
Home stadium	Rubber Bowl

1961 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Wittenberg $	6	–	0	–	0			8	–	1	–	0
Akron	6	–	1	–	0			6	–	2	–	0
Otterbein	5	–	1	–	0			8	–	1	–	0
Muskingum	5	–	1	–	0			7	–	2	–	0
Capital	5	–	2	–	1			5	–	2	–	1
Wooster	5	–	3	–	0			6	–	3	–	0
Ohio Wesleyan	4	–	3	–	0			6	–	3	–	0
Kenyon	2	–	4	–	0			3	–	4	–	1
Mount Union	2	–	5	–	0			3	–	6	–	0
Denison	2	–	6	–	0			3	–	6	–	0
Heidelberg	1	–	4	–	1			1	–	7	–	1
Oberlin	1	–	5	–	0			2	–	5	–	1
Hiram	1	–	5	–	0			1	–	7	–	0
Marietta	0	–	5	–	1			0	–	8	–	1
$ – Conference champion

The 1961 Akron Zips football team was an American football team that represented Akron University in the 1961 Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) football season. In their first year under head coach Gordon K. Larson, the Zips compiled a 6–2 record (6–1 against OAC opponents), finished in second place in the OAC, and outscored opponents by a total of 185 to 57.

Several Akron players were selected as first-team players on the 1961 All-OAC football team, including: fullback George Deo; linebacker Tom Lowry; safety Ed Lopeman; tackle Ron Ulrich; and end Ray Greene.^[1]

The team played its home games at the Rubber Bowl in Akron, Ohio.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 23	at Wittenberg	Wittenberg Stadium Springfield, OH	L 0–7	5,100–5,600	[2][3]
September 30	Denison	Rubber Bowl Akron, OH	W 28–0	35,061	[4]
October 7	vs. Ohio Wesleyan	Barberton Stadium Barberton, OH	W 32–21	4,500	[5]
October 14	at Heidelberg	Tiffin, OH	W 12–0	4,000	[6]
October 21	at Wooster	Wooster, OH	W 31–8	4,700	[7]
October 28	vs. No. 3 Baldwin–Wallace*	Clifford Stadium Cuyahoga Falls, OH	L 0–7	6,531	[8]
November 4	Muskingum	Rubber Bowl Akron, OH	W 35–14	6,511	[9]
November 18	at Mount Union	Mount Union Stadium Alliance, OH	W 47–0	3,500	[10]
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

^[11][12]

References

1. "Four Tigers On First All-Conference Team". Springfield News-Sun. November 24, 1961. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
2. Dick Hibbett (September 24, 1961). "Wittenberg Takes Grid Opener, 7-0, Over Zips". Springfield News-Sun. pp. Sports 1, 2 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics (Wittenberg)". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
4. Tom Melody (October 1, 1961). "Record 35,061 See Akron U Victory: Denison 28-0 Victim In Acme-Zip Feature". The Akron Beacon-Journal. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
5. Tom Melody (October 8, 1961). "Akron U Chips OW By 32-21: Deo Gains 186 Yards". The Akron Beacon-Journal. pp. 1B, 2B – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Deo Scores 2; Zips Top Heidelberg, 12-0". The Plain Dealer. October 15, 1961. p. 10C – via Newspapers.com.
7. Tom Melody (October 22, 1961). "Zips Rip Wooster, 31-8; Mackey, Deo, Adolph Pace Akron". The Akron Beacon Journal. pp. 1B, 7B – via Newspapers.com.
8. Tom Melody (October 29, 1961). "Zips Fail Twice Inside B-W Six". The Akron Beacon Journal. pp. 1B, 8B – via Newspapers.com.
9. Tom Melody (November 5, 1961). "Mackey Scores 3 In 35-14 Frolic". The Akron Beacon-Journal. p. B1 – via Newspapers.com.
10. Tom Melody (November 19, 1961). "Zips Romp: Akron Rips Mount By 47-0; Finishes 2nd In OC". The Akron Beacon Journal. pp. 1B, 2B – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
12. "2019 Akron Zips Football Media Guide: Records" (PDF). University of Akron. p. 168. Retrieved July 29, 2020.