1961 Fresno State Bulldogs football team

The 1961 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented Fresno State College—now known as California State University, Fresno—as a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) during the 1961 NCAA College Division football season. Led by third-year head coach Cecil Coleman, Fresno State compiled an overall record of 10–0 with a mark of 5–0 in conference play, winning the CCAA title for the fourth consecutive year. The Bulldogs played home games at Ratcliffe Stadium on the campus of Fresno City College in Fresno, California.

1961 Fresno State Bulldogs football
CCAA champion
Mercy Bowl, W 36–6 vs. Bowling Green
Conference	California Collegiate Athletic Association
Ranking
Coaches	No. 5 (UPI small college)
AP	No. 3 (AP small college)
Record	10–0 (5–0 CCAA)
Head coach	Cecil Coleman (3rd season)
Home stadium	Ratcliffe Stadium
Seasons ← 1960 1962 →

1961 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 3/5 Fresno State $	5	–	0	–	0			10	–	0	–	0
Cal Poly	3	–	2	–	0			4	–	4	–	0
San Diego State	2	–	2	–	1			7	–	2	–	1
Los Angeles State	2	–	2	–	1			4	–	4	–	1
Long Beach State	2	–	3	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
UC Santa Barbara	0	–	5	–	0			2	–	8	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP/UPI small college polls

At the end of the season, Fresno State took part in a charity bowl game, the Mercy Bowl against Bowling Green. The game was played as a fundraiser in memory of 16 Cal Poly Mustangs football players killed in a plane crash following a game against Bowling Green a year earlier.^[1]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 23	vs. Montana State*		Memorial Stadium Great Falls, MT	W 16–13	6,000–6,800	^[2]^[3]
September 30	UC Santa Barbara		Ratcliffe Stadium Fresno, CA	W 22–14	9,066
October 7	at Pacific (CA)*		Pacific Memorial Stadium Stockton, CA	W 20–19	10,000
October 14	at Cal Poly		Mustang Stadium San Luis Obispo, CA	W 42–13	6,000–7,250	^[4]
October 21	Los Angeles State	No. 10	Ratcliffe Stadium Fresno, CA	W 35–6	11,151
October 28	San Diego State	No. 6	Ratcliffe Stadium Fresno, CA (rivalry)	W 27–6	6,595	^[5]
November 3	at Long Beach State	No. 6	Veterans Stadium Long Beach, CA	W 37–14	5,000
November 11	Abilene Christian*	No. 5	Ratcliffe Stadium Fresno, CA	W 21–7	9,960
November 18	San Jose State*	No. 3	Ratcliffe Stadium Fresno, CA (rivalry)	W 36–27	14,141
November 23	vs. Bowling Green*	No. 3	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, CA (Mercy Bowl)	W 36–6	33,146
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

^[6]

Team players in the NFL/AFL

The following were selected in the 1962 NFL Draft.^[7][8]

Player	Position	Round	Overall	NFL Team
Jesse Williams	Center	10	138	New York Giants
Bill Knocke	Halfback	17	233	Baltimore Colts
Sonny Bishop	Guard	18	249	Cleveland Browns
John Anabo	Quarterback	19	263	Cleveland Browns

The following were selected in the 1962 AFL Draft.^[7]

Player	Position	Round	Overall	AFL Team
Sonny Bishop	Guard	11	88	San Diego Chargers
Jesse Williams	Center	21	168	San Diego Chargers

References

1. "L.A.'s Last Bowl? 1961 Mercy Bowl". January 5, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
2. "Bulldogs Squeeze Out 16-13 Win Over MSC". Great Falls Tribune. Great Falls, Montana. September 24, 1961. p. 15. Retrieved October 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com  .
3. "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
4. "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
5. Howard Hagen (October 29, 1961). "Fresno's Barrage Rips Aztecs". The San Diego Union. San Diego, California. p. B-1.
6. "Fresno State 2016 Media Guide" (PDF). Retrieved December 8, 2016.
7. "1962 NFL Draft". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
8. "Fresno St. Players/Alumni". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 12, 2016.