The 1961 Northern State Wolves football team was an American football team that represented Northern State Teachers College (now known as Northern State University) as a member of the South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference (SDIC) during the 1961 college football season. In their 16th year under head coach Clark Swisher, the Wolves compiled a 9–0 record in the regular season (6–0 in conference games), won the SDIC championship, outscored opponents by a total of 357 to 82, and were ranked No. 6 in the final NAIA poll.[1][2] Northern State then lost to the eventual national champion, Pittsburg State, in an NAIA semifinal playoff game. The team played home games at Simmons Field in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
| 1961 Northern State Wolves football | |
|---|---|
SDIC champion | |
NAIA Semifinal, L 14–28 at Pittsburg State | |
| Conference | South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference |
| Record | 9–1 (6–0 SDIC) |
| Head coach |
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| Home stadium | Simmons Field |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 6 Northern State $^ | 6 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Huron | 5 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southern State (SD) | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Dakota Tech | 2 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Black Hills | 2 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dakota Wesleyan | 2 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Beadle | 0 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Senior fullback Jim Vogt scored 22 points against Dakota Wesleyan,[3] and was one of the nation's leading rushers and scorers, but he was lost to the team after sustaining a chipped vertebrae and near fracture in his neck.[4]
Schedule
edit| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 9 | Moorhead State* | Aberdeen, SD | W 46–10 | [5] | ||
| September 16 | at Southern State (SD) | Springfield, SD | W 27–20 | [6] | ||
| September 23 | South Dakota Tech | Aberdeen, SD | W 47–0 | [7] | ||
| September 30 | Dakota Wesleyan | Aberdeen, SD | W 40–13 | [8] | ||
| October 7 | Nebraska Wesleyan* | Aberdeen, SD (Gypsy Day) | W 32–0 | [9] | ||
| October 14 | at Black Hills | Spearfish, SD | W 52–13 | [10] | ||
| October 21 | Huron |
| W 33–13 | [11] | ||
| October 28 | at General Beadle | Madison, SD | W 41–13 | [12] | ||
| November 4 | Dickinson State* | Aberdeen, SD | W 39–0 | [13] | ||
| November 23 | at No. 1 Pittsburg State* | Pittsburg, KS (NAIA Semifinal) | L 14–28 | [14] | ||
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References
edit- ^ "Black Hills Defeats Tech in Final Game". The Daily Republic. Mitchell, South Dakota. Associated Press. November 13, 1961. p. 12. Retrieved November 26, 2019 – via Newspapers.com
.
- ^ "Linfield Third As Whittier Fourth; Pittsburgh Top Team". Humboldt Standard. Eureka, California. November 22, 1961. p. 10. Retrieved June 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Haller Fourth In NAIA Point Totals". The Daily Plainsman. October 8, 1961. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Craig Stolze (October 18, 1961). "No Vogt May Mean Vote for Huron But Swisher Syas, 'We'll Show Up'". Sioux Falls Argus Leader. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "State College, Northern, Southern Win Initial Contests; Huron Losses". The Daily Republic. September 11, 1961. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Wolves Edge Southern". Rapid City Journal. September 17, 1961. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Northern Smashes Tech". Sioux Falls Argus-Leader. September 24, 1961. p. 1D – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Northern Racks Up 40-13 Win To Hand DWU Third Defeat". The Daily Plainsman. October 1, 1961. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Wolves Smash Nebraska Foe". Rapid City Daily Journal. October 8, 1961. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Vogt Missing But Wolves Roll 52-13". Sioux Falls Argus-Leader. October 15, 1961. p. 3D – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Wolves Down Huron 33-13". Sioux Falls Argus-Leader. October 22, 1961. p. 1D – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Northern Trims Beadle 42-13; Clinches Crown". Sioux Falls Argus-Leader. October 29, 1961. p. 1D – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Northern Rips Dickinson In Snow Storm". The Daily Plainsman. November 5, 1961. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Pittsburg State Rambles Past Northern State to Earn Bowl Bid". Great Bend Daily Tribune. November 24, 1961. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
