# 1961 Humboldt State Lumberjacks football team

The 1961 Humboldt State Lumberjacks football team was an American football team that represented Humboldt State College (now known as California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt) as a member of the Far Western Conference (FWC) during the 1961 college football season. In their 11th year under head coach Phil Sarboe, the Lumberjacks compiled an 8–2 record (4–1 in conference games), tied for the FWC championship with San Francisco State, and outscored opponents by a total of 239 to 112. They were ranked No. 13 and No. 16 in the final AP and UPI small college polls.
The team's statistical leaders included fullback Ed White (696 rushing yards), quarterback Monty Feekes (356 passing yards), and end Drew Roberts (36 receptions, 507 yards). Five Humboldt players were selected as first-team players on the 1961 All-Far Western Conference football team: fullback Ed White; offensive end Drew Roberts; offensive tackle Vester Flanagan; offensive guard Al Frakes; defensive end Jim Walker; and defensive halfback Dennis Guiuntini.
The team played its home games at the Redwood Bowl in Arcata, California.

## Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 23 | Eastern Washington* | | Redwood BowlArcata, CA | W 53–0 | 5,500 |
| September 30 | at Willamette* | | McCulloch StadiumSalem, OR | W 27–13 | 4,500 |
| October 7 | at San Francisco State | No. 5 AP / 4 UPI | Cox StadiumSan Francisco, CA | W 7–6 | 6,200 |
| October 14 | at Sacramento State | No. 2 AP / 6 UPI | Charles C. Hughes StadiumSacramento, CA | L 7–19 | 6,000 |
| October 21 | UC Davis | No. 9 UPI | Redwood BowlArcata, CA | W 20–18 | 5,500 |
| October 28 | Oregon Tech* | No. 14 UPI | Redwood BowlArcata, CA | W 46–6 | 4,500 |
| November 4 | at Chico State | No. 15 UPI | College FieldChico, CA | W 29–12 | 5,000 |
| November 11 | Nevada | No. 16 UPI | Redwood BowlArcata, CA | W 16–14 | 7,500 |
| November 18 | Central Washington* | No. 17 UPI | Redwood BowlArcata, CA | W 34–14 | 5,000 |
| November 23 | Whitworth* | No. 16 UPI | Redwood BowlArcata, CA | L 0–10 | 3,500 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP/UPI Poll released prior to the game |||||||

## Statistics

The Lumberjacks tallied 2,803 yards of total offense (280.3 per game), consisting of 1,857 rushing yards (185.7 per game) and 946 passing yards (94.6 per game). On defense, they gave up 2,075 yards (207.5 per game) with 1,376 rushing yards (137.6 per game) and 699 passing yards (69.9 per game).
Quarterback Monty Feekes completed 34 of 63 passes for 356 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Backup quarterback Roger Toftt completed 20 of 41 passes for 279 yards.
Fullback Ed White led the team in rushing with 696 yards on 147 carries. Halfback Frank Buda ranked second with 552 yards on 121 carries. Buda led the team in scoring with 66 points on 11 touchdowns.
The team's leading receivers were ends Drew Roberts (36 catches, 507 yards) and Ron Remington (five catches for 167 yards).

## Awards and honors

Six Humboldt players were selected by the conference coaches and athletic directors for first-team honors on the 1961 All-Far Western Conference football team: end Drew Roberts; tackle Vester Flanagan; guard Al Frakes; fullback Ed White; defensive end Jim Walker; and defensive halfback Dennis Giuntini. Two others were named to the second team: center Parker Pollock and wingback Earl Love.