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1961 Virginia Tech Gobblers football team

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The 1961 Virginia Tech Gobblers football team, also known as the VPI Gobblers, was an American football team that represented the Virginia Polytechnic Institute (now known as Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University or Virginia Tech) as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1961 college football season. In their first year under head coach Jerry Claiborne, the Gobblers compiled a 4–5 record (2–3 in conference games), finished seventh in the SoCon, and were outscored by a total of 112 to 93.[1][2]

1961 Virginia Tech Gobblers football
ConferenceSouthern Conference
Record4–5 (2–3 SoCon)
Head coach
Home stadiumMiles Stadium
Seasons
← 1960
1962 →
1961 Southern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
The Citadel $ 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
Richmond 5 – 2 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
VMI 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
West Virginia 2 – 1 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Furman 2 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0
George Washington 3 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 0
Virginia Tech 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0
Davidson 1 – 4 – 0 4 – 4 – 0
William & Mary 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 9 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion

Quarterback Warren Price led the team in passing yards (381), rushing yards (356), and total offense (736 yards). Price was described as "the heart and soul of the Tech offense, a genuine triple-threater."[3]

The team played its home games at Miles Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Schedule

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DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 16vs. William & Mary
W 20–65,000[4]
October 7at West Virginia
L 0–2815,000[5]
October 14at Tulane*
L 14–27[6]
October 21vs. Virginia*
W 20–017,000[7]
October 28Florida State* 
W 10–714,000[8]
November 4at Richmond
L 0–1114,000[9]
November 11at Wake Forest*
L 15–248,000[10]
November 17George Washington
  • Miles Stadium
  • Blacksburg, VA
W 14–35,000[11]
November 23vs. VMI
  • Victory Stadium
  • Roanoke, VA (rivalry)
L 0–620,000[12]
  • *Non-conference game
  •  Homecoming

Statistics

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Quarterback Warren Price led the team in passing (37-for-93, 39.8%, 381 yards, five touchdowns, five interceptions), rushing (356 yards on 93 carries, 3.8-yard average), total offense (736 yards), and scoring.[13]

Other significant contributors included Gerald Bobbitte (261 rushing yards, 62 carries, 4.2-yard average) and Terry Strock (223 rushing yards, 68 receiving yards), Buddy Perry (212 rushing yards, 61 receiving yards), and Buddy Weihe (148 rushing yards, 85 receiving yards).[13]

Awards and honors

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Three Virginia Tech players were selected as first-team players on the 1961 Virginia All-Big Five football team: quarterback Warren Price; back Terry Strock; and tackle Joe Moss. Two others were placed on the second team: end Leon Tomblin and guard Ray Barile. Three others received honorable mention: back Gerald Bobbitte; tackle Gene Breen; and guard Newt Green.[14]

Tackle Gene Breen was selected as a first-team player on the 1961 All-Southern Conference football team. Tackle Joe Moss and quarterback Warren Price were named to the second team.[15]

Personnel

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Players

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The following players received varsity letters for their participation on the 1961 Virginia Tech football team:

  • Ray Barile, guard, senior
  • Herb Bowling, end-linebacker, junior
  • Gene Breen, tackle, sophomore, 6'2", 210 pounds
  • Bloice Davison, guard, senior
  • John Farmer, tackle, senior
  • Dave Gillespie, center
  • Dick Goode, end, junior
  • Ron Hawkins, halfback, junior
  • Charlie Hines, center, senior
  • Gerald Holbrook, guard, senior
  • Warren Maccaroni, fullback, senior
  • Ray Massie, halfback, junior
  • Joe Moss, tackle, senior, 6'4", 233 pounds, Burkes Garden, VA
  • Noah Redding "Buddy" Perry, halfback, senior
  • Warren Price, quarterback/halfback, senior, 5'10", 165 pounds, Miami, FL
  • Aster "Cat" Sizemore, back, junior
  • Charlie Speck, end, senior
  • Terry L. Strock, quarterback, senior, 5'10", 172 pounds, Hagerstown, MD
  • Leon Tomblin, end, senior

Other players identified from the roster published in the 1962 edition of The Bugle, the Virginia Tech yearbook, included:

  • Jake Adams, end
  • Kyle Marlon Albright, center
  • William McLemore "Billy" Babb, halfback
  • Gerald Bobbitte
  • Harold Bolden, halfback
  • Mike Cahill, halfback/quarterback
  • Alex Camaioni, guard
  • Phillip W. Cary
  • Pete Cartwright, halfback
  • Dickie Cranwell
  • Lacy Lee Edwards, Jr., halfback
  • Randall Edwards, center
  • Ronald Wayne Frank
  • David Green, guard
  • Walter Newton Green, Jr.
  • Thomas Morgan Hawkins, halfback
  • James Venable Hickam, guard
  • Don Jensen, guard
  • John W. Minichan, tackle
  • Bob Peak, tackle
  • Art Pruett, fullback
  • Bill Robertson, tackle
  • Joseph Gilleece "Skip" Vance, halfback
  • Al Verthein, halfback
  • Thomas Merritt Walker, halfback
  • K. T. "Buddy" Weihe, halfback
  • Roger Whitley, fullback

[16]

Coaches and administration

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  • Head coach: Jerry Claiborne (1st year)
  • Assistant coaches: John Shelton, Cecil Ingram, Jack Prater, Bob Edwards, Doug Shively, Dick Redding (freshmen coach), Bill Conde[17]
  • Athletic director: Frank O. Moseley[17]

References

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  1. ^ "1961 Virginia Tech Hokies Schedule and Results". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  2. ^ "Footbal 1961". HokieSports.com. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  3. ^ "'Heart and Soul': Price Is Key Man Of Tech Football Team". The Times (Roanoke, VA). October 20, 1961. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Gobblers rally for 20–6 win over Indians". The Virginian-Pilot. September 17, 1961. Retrieved October 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "West Virginia winner first time in 18 games". The Tampa Tribune. October 8, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Rush-led Tulane raps Virginia Tech by 27–14". Daily Press. October 15, 1961. Retrieved September 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Techmen take stunning 20–0 Harvest Bowl win". Kingsport Times-News. October 22, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Virginia State upsets Florida State, 10–7". The Macon Telegraph & News. October 29, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Richmond drops VPI, 11–0, as Pratt's punts sparkle". Daily Press. November 5, 1961. Retrieved August 23, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Wake gets all breaks, whips VPI". The State. November 12, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Virginia Tech defeats George Washington 14–3". The Tampa Tribune. November 18, 1961. Retrieved February 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Special play wins mud bowl for VMI". Ledger-Star. November 24, 1961. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ a b "1961 Virginia Tech Hokies Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  14. ^ Ed Yount (December 1, 1961). "Richmond, Virginia Tech Dominate Honor Grid Team: Each Lands Three Players On 1961 All-Big Five Teams Picked By AP". The Register. p. 8B – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Ed Young (November 29, 1961). "Spiders' Earl Stoudt Is SC's Player Of Year". The Roanoke Times. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "The Bugle 1962" (PDF). Virginia Tech Bugle. 1962. p. 213. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
  17. ^ a b 1962 Virginia Tech yearbook, p. 212.


 

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