1961 NC State Wolfpack football team

1961 NC State Wolfpack football
Conference	Atlantic Coast Conference
Record	4–6 (3–4 ACC)
Head coach	Earle Edwards (8th season)
Captain	Roman Gabriel
Home stadium	Riddick Stadium

1961 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings

v t e	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 NC State Wolfpack football team was an American football team that represented North Carolina State University (NC State) as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) during the 1961 college football season. In their eighth year head coach Earle Edwards, the Wolfpack compiled a 4–6 record (3–4 in conference games), tied for fifth place in the ACC, and were outscored by a total of 149 to 129.^[2]

Senior quarterback Roman Gabriel set 22 NC State records, was selected as the 1961 ACC Player of the Year and a first-team All-American, and had his jersey retired (the first in program history) in a January 1962 ceremony. Gabriel was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

The team played its home games at Riddick Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 23	at Wyoming*	War Memorial Stadium Laramie, WY	L 14–15	17,301	[3]
September 30	at North Carolina	Kenan Memorial Stadium Chapel Hill, NC (rivalry)	L 22–27	44,000	[4][5]
October 7	at Virginia	Scott Stadium Charlottesville, VA	W 21–14	16,000	[6]
October 14	at No. 3 Alabama*	Denny Stadium Tuscaloosa, AL	L 7–26	30,000	[7][8]
October 21	Wake Forest	Riddick Stadium Raleigh, NC (rivalry)	W 7–0	16,000	[9]
October 28	Duke	Riddick Stadium Raleigh, NC (rivalry)	L 6–17	21,800	[10]
November 4	at No. 8 (small) Mississippi Southern*	Ladd Stadium Mobile, AL	W 7–6	13,000	[11]
November 11	at Maryland	Byrd Stadium College Park, MD	L 7–10	25,000	[12]
November 18	South Carolina	Riddick Stadium Raleigh, NC	W 38–14	16,000	[13]
November 25	at Clemson	Memorial Stadium Clemson, SC (rivalry)	L 0–20	23,000	[14]
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

^[15]

Statistics

The 1967 NC State Wolfpack gained an average of 123.7 rushing yards and 96.6 passing yards per game. On defense, they gave up an average of 192.8 rushing yards and 78.4 passing yards per game.^[16]

Roman Gabriel completed 99 of 186 passes (53.2%) for 937 passing yards with eight touchdowns, six interceptions, and a 103.3 quarterback rating.^[16] He also rushed for 196 yards and led the ACC with 1,133 yards of total offense. He set 22 NC State and nine ACC records.^[17]

The Wolfpack had five players who rushed for over 150 yards:

• Jim D'Antonio led the team with 232 yards on 47 carries for an average of 4.9 yards per carry.
• Roman Gabriel rushed for 196 yards on 97 carries for a 2.0-yard average.
• Joe Scarpati tallied 164 yards on 43 carries for a 3.8-yard average.
• Carson Bosher tallied 160 yards on 36 carries for a 4.4-yard average.
• Al Taylor gained 152 yards on 48 carries for a 3.2-yard average.

^[16]

End Johnny Morris led the team with 325 receiving yards on 24 receptions for a 13.5-yard average.^[16]

Awards and honors

Senior quarterback Roman Gabriel received multiple honors at the end of the 1961 season, including the following:

• Gabriel was chosen Player of the Year in the ACC for the second straight syear.^[18]

• Gabriel received first-team honors on the 1961 All-America college football team from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), and Time magazine. He received second-team honors from the Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI).

• On January 20, 1962, NC State retired Gabriel's jersey No. 18 in a ceremony at halftime of an NC State basketball game in Raleigh, North Carolina. Governor Terry Sanford presented Gabriel with a replica of the jersey.^[19]

In 1989, Gabriel was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.^[17]

Two NC State player were honored on the 1961 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team. Gabriel received first-team honors from the AP, UPI, and Atlantic Coast Sports Writers Association (ACSWA). End Johnny Morris received first-team honors from the AP and ACSWA.^[20][21][22]

Personnel

Players

• Carson Bosher, wingback
• Joe Bushofsky, guard
• Mike Clark, wingback
• Jim D'Antonio, fullback
• Tom Dellinger, quarterback
• Roman Gabriel, quarterback and captain, senior 6'4", 220 pounds
• Tony Koszarsky, diveback
• Dennis Kroll, end, senior
• Walt Kudryan, center, junior
• Nick Maravich, tackle
• Johnny Morris, end
• Jim Scarpati, diveback
• Graham Singleton, guard
• Al Taylor, diveback
• Bert Wilder, tackle

^[23]

Coaches

• Head coach: Earle Edwards
• Assistant coach: Pat Peppler, H. B. McCullough, Al Michaels, Bill Smaltz, Cary Brewbaker^[24]

References

1. "1961 Atlantic Coast Conference Year Summary". sports-reference.com. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
2. "1961 North Carolina State Wolfpack Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
3. "Wyoming overcomes Wolfpack by 15–14". Richmond Times-Dispatch. September 24, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
4. Dick Herbert (October 1, 1961). "Bruising Carolina Attack Whips State, 27-22". The News and Observer. Raleigh, North Carolina. pp. 1, 3 (section II) – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Tar Heels defeat NC State, 27–22". The Commercial Appeal. October 1, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "New running attack helps N.C. State get first win". The Birmingham News. October 8, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
7. Land, Charles (October 15, 1961). "Bama beats State at own game". The Tuscaloosa News. p. 10. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
8. Dygard, Tom (October 15, 1961). "Trammell leader as Tide rallies, 26–7". The Florence Times. Associated Press. p. 4-1. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
9. "N.C. State squeezes past Wake Forest, 7–0". The Times and Democrat. October 22, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Duke tops N.C. State by 17–6". Kingsport Times-News. October 29, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "State wins squeaker, 7–6 as ground troops gallop". The Charlotte Observer. November 5, 1961. Retrieved March 28, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Maryland edges Wolfpack, 10–7". Asheville Citizen-Times. November 12, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Gabe leads State over S.C., 38–14". Winston-Salem Journal & Sentinel. November 19, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "Clemson dumps Gabriel and N.C. State, 20–0". The Greenville News. November 26, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
15. "1961 North Carolina State Wolfpack Schedule and Results". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
16. "1961 North Carolina State Wolfpack Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
17. "Roman Gabriel". National Football Foundation. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
18. "Gabe Named Player Of Year In Atlantic Coast!". The Salisbury Post. December 5, 1961. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
19. "N.C. State Makes Certain They Won't Forget Gabe". The Charlotte Observer. January 21, 1962. p. 1D – via Newspapers.com.
20. Ken Alyta (November 30, 1961). "Terps' Gary Collins Is All-ACC Lineman; Gabriel of NC State Chosen". The Morning Herald (MD).
21. "Gabriel Leads All-ACC Club". Statesville Record & Landmark. December 1, 1961. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
22. "Collins Paces Writers' Vote For All-ACC". Daily Press. December 1, 1961. p. 29 – via Newspapers.com.
23. Hugo Germino (September 15, 1961). "State 'Not To Put All Eggs In One Forward Pass Basket'". The Durham Sun. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
24. Agromeck 1962 (North Carolina State yearbook), pp. 252-253.