The 1961 Michigan State Spartans football team represented

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...

in the 1961 Big Ten Conference football season. In their eighth season under head coach

Duffy Daugherty Hugh Duffy Daugherty (September 8, 1915 – September 25, 1987) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Michigan State University from 1954 to 1972, compiling a record of 109–69–5. His 1965 and 1966 teams won ...

, the Spartans compiled a 7–2 overall record (5–2 against Big Ten opponents), finished in third place in the

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

, and were ranked #8 in the final AP Poll. Two Spartans were selected as first-team players on the

1961 All-Big Ten Conference football team The 1961 All-Big Ten Conference football team consists of American football players chosen by various organizations for All-Big Ten Conference teams for the 1961 Big Ten Conference football season. All-Big Ten selections Quarterbacks * Sandy Ste ...

. Halfback

George Saimes George Thomas Saimes (September 1, 1941 – March 8, 2013) was an American football defensive back and fullback for Michigan State University and the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League, which produced American Football League Cham ...

received first-team honors from the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

(AP) and

United Press International United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th ...

(UPI), and tackle

Dave Behrman David Wesley Behrman (November 9, 1941 – December 9, 2014) was an American football offensive lineman who played in the American Football League for the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos. He was the fourth overall pick in the 1963 AFL Draft by ...

received first-team honors from the AP. Halfback

Sherman Lewis Sherman Lewis (born June 29, 1942) is a former American football coach and player. He spent thirty-four years as a coach, but had been out of football since the end of the 2004 season before joining the Washington Redskins mid-way into the 2009 ...

received second-team all-conference honors from the AP. Dave Behrman also received first-team recognition from the AP and

Football Writers Association of America The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) is an organization of college football media members in the United States founded in 1941. It is composed of approximately 1,200 professional sports writers from both print and Internet media out ...

on the

1961 College Football All-America Team The 1961 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams in 1961. The six selectors recognized by the NC ...

. The 1961 Spartans won all three of their annual rivalry games. In the annual

Indiana–Michigan State football rivalry The Indiana–Michigan State football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Indiana Hoosiers and Michigan State Spartans. History The Old Brass Spittoon is awarded to the winner of the game. It was first presented in 1950. ...

game, the Spartans defeated the Hoosiers by a 35 to 0 score. In the Notre Dame rivalry game, the Spartans defeated the

Fighting Irish The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are the athletic teams that represent the University of Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish participate in 23 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I intercollegiate sports and in the NCAA's Division ...

by a 17 to 7 score. And, in the annual

Michigan–Michigan State football rivalry The Michigan–Michigan State football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the University of Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State University Spartans. The teams first played in 1898 and have met 114 times. The game has ...

game, the Spartans defeated the Wolverines by a 28 to 0 score. In non-conference play, the Spartans also defeated Stanford, 31-3.

Schedule

Roster

* FB

, Jr.

References

Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...

Michigan State Spartans football seasons

Michigan State Spartans football The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University (MSU) in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level. The Spartans are members of the Big Ten Conference. Michigan State claims a ...

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