1961 South Carolina Gamecocks football team

The 1961 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) during the 1961 NCAA University Division football season. Led by first-year head coach Marvin Bass, the Gamecocks compiled an overall record of 4–6 with a mark of 3–4 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for fifth in the ACC. The team played home games at Carolina Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina.

1961 South Carolina Gamecocks football
Conference	Atlantic Coast Conference
Record	4–6 (3–4 ACC)
Head coach	Marvin Bass (1st season)
Captain	Dave Adam, Dave Sowel
Home stadium	Carolina Stadium
Seasons ← 1960 1962 →

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]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 23	Duke	Carolina Stadium Columbia, SC	L 6–7	35,000	^[2]
September 30	at Wake Forest	Bowman Gray Stadium Winston-Salem, NC	W 10–7	12,000	^[3]
October 7	at Georgia*	Sanford Stadium Athens, Georgia (rivalry)	L 14–17	30,000	^[4]
October 14	LSU*	Carolina Stadium Columbia, SC	L 0–42	28,000	^[5]
October 21	North Carolina	Carolina Stadium Columbia, SC (rivalry)	L 0–17	16,000	^[6]
October 28	Maryland	Carolina Stadium Columbia, SC	W 20–10	19,000	^[7]
November 4	at Virginia	Scott Stadium Charlottesville, VA	L 20–28	18,000	^[8]
November 11	Clemson	Carolina Stadium Columbia, SC (rivalry)	W 21–14	44,000	^[9]
November 18	at NC State	Riddick Stadium Raleigh, NC	L 14–38	16,000	^[10]
November 25	at Vanderbilt*	Dudley Field Nashville, TN	W 23–7	12,500	^[11]
*Non-conference game

^[12]

References

1. "1961 Atlantic Coast Conference Year Summary". sports-reference.com. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
2. "Duke scores in last 2 minutes, edges USC". The Times and Democrat. September 24, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "South Carolina edges Deacons, 10–7, on field goal by Findley". Daily Press. October 1, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Georgia rallies to top Gamecocks, 17–14". The Times and Democrat. October 8, 1961. Retrieved October 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "LSU tallies in every period, trounces USC". The Times and Democrat. October 15, 1961. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Tarheels pin Gamecocks, 17–0". Durham Morning Herald. October 22, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "South Carolina surprises Maryland with 20–10 win". Winston-Salem Journal & Sentinel. October 29, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Cavaliers surprise S.C." The Daily News Leader. November 5, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Carolina Wins Thriller Over Clemson, 21-14". The Greenville News. November 12, 1961. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Gabe leads State over S.C., 38–14". Winston-Salem Journal & Sentinel. November 19, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "South Carolina smacks Vanderbilt, 23–7". The Commercial Appeal. November 26, 1961. Retrieved October 11, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "1961 Football Schedule". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 10, 2017.