1961 Ole Miss Rebels football team

The 1961 Ole Miss Rebels football team was an American football team that represented the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 1961 NCAA University Division football season. In their 15th year under head coach Johnny Vaught, the Rebels complied an overall record of 9–2, with a conference record of 5–1, and finished third in the SEC. Ole Miss received a berth in the Cotton Bowl, where the Rebels lost to Texas, 12–7. Ole Miss was favored in every game throughout the 1961 season as two–time defending champions.

1961 Ole Miss Rebels football
Cotton Bowl Classic, L 7–12 vs. Texas
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 5
AP	No. 5
Record	9–2 (5–1 SEC)
Head coach	Johnny Vaught (15th season)
Home stadium	Hemingway Stadium (capacity: 34,500) Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium
Seasons ← 1960 1962 →

1961 Southeastern Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 1 Alabama +	7	–	0	–	0			11	–	0	–	0
No. 4 LSU +	6	–	0	–	0			10	–	1	–	0
No. 5 Ole Miss	5	–	1	–	0			9	–	2	–	0
No. 13 Georgia Tech	4	–	3	–	0			7	–	4	–	0
Tennessee	4	–	3	–	0			6	–	4	–	0
Florida	3	–	3	–	0			4	–	5	–	1
Auburn	3	–	4	–	0			6	–	4	–	0
Kentucky	2	–	4	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Georgia	2	–	5	–	0			3	–	7	–	0
Mississippi State	1	–	5	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Tulane	1	–	5	–	0			2	–	8	–	0
Vanderbilt	1	–	6	–	0			2	–	8	–	0
+ – Conference co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 23	Arkansas*	No. 9	Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium Jackson, MS (rivalry)	W 16–0	46,000	^[1]
September 30	at Kentucky	No. 2	McLean Stadium Lexington, KY	W 20–6	33,000	^[2]
October 7	Florida State*	No. 2	Hemingway Stadium Oxford, MS	W 33–0	12,000	^[3]
October 14	vs. Houston*	No. 1	Crump Stadium Memphis, TN	W 47–7	15,610	^[4]
October 21	Tulane	No. 2	Memorial Stadium Jackson, MS	W 41–0	40,000	^[5]
October 28	at Vanderbilt	No. 2	Dudley Field Nashville, TN (rivalry)	W 47–0	25,000	^[6]
November 4	at No. 6 LSU	No. 2	Tiger Stadium Baton Rouge, LA (rivalry)	L 7–10	68,000	^[7]
November 11	Chattanooga*	No. 7	Hemingway Stadium Oxford, MS	W 54–0	10,000	^[8]
November 18	vs. Tennessee	No. 6	Crump Stadium Memphis, TN	W 24–10	32,428	^[9]
December 2	at Mississippi State	No. 5	Scott Field Starkville, MS (Egg Bowl)	W 37–7	34,500	^[10]
January 1	vs. No. 3 Texas*	No. 5	Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX (Cotton Bowl Classic)	L 7–12	75,000	^[11]
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

^[12][13]

References

1. "Ole Miss rolls over touted Porkers, 16–0". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. September 24, 1961. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Ole Miss shoots down eager Wildcats, 20–6". The Atlanta Journal & Constitution. October 1, 1961. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Ole Miss scalps Seminoles, 33–0". The Clarion-Ledger. October 8, 1961. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Slow-starting Rebels smash Houston, 47–7". The Commercial Appeal. October 15, 1961. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Rebs mangle Tulane Greenies 41–0 for 5th straight victory". The Clarion-Ledger. October 22, 1961. Retrieved September 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Ole Miss smashes past Vandy, 47–0". The Huntsville Times. October 29, 1961. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "LSU does it again! Ole Miss goes down". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. November 5, 1961. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Ole Miss Rebs maul Chattanooga by 54–0". The Clarion-Ledger. November 12, 1961. Retrieved September 10, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Powerful Ole Miss belts Vols, 24–10". The Jackson Sun. 1961 [November 1912]. Retrieved April 13, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Rebs close out in power show". The Birmingham News. December 3, 1961. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Longhorn interceptions help kill Rebels, 12–7". The Clarion-Ledger. January 2, 1962. Retrieved April 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "1961 Ole Miss Rebels Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
13. DeLassus, David. . College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved March 22, 2013.