# 1961 Northwest Conference football season

The 1961 Northwest Conference football season was the season of college football played by the six member schools of the Northwest Conference (NWC) as part of the 1961 college football season. The 1961 Linfield Wildcats football team won the conference championship with an undefeated 9–0 record in the regular season. They advanced to the NAIA playoffs where they defeated Whittier in the semifinals and lost to Pittsburg State in the Camellia Bowl, the NAIA national championship game.

## Teams
### Linfield

The 1961 Linfield Wildcats football team represented the Linfield University of McMinnville, Oregon. In their 14th year under head coach Paul Durham, the team compiled a 10–1 record (5–0 against NWC opponents) and won the Northwest Conference championship. The Wildcats advanced to the NAIA playoffs, defeated Whittier in the semifinals and lost to Pittsburg State in the Camellia Bowl, the NAIA national championship game.
Back Steve Beguin received third-team honors on the 1961 Little All-America college football team.
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 23 | at Southern Oregon* | | Ashland, OR | W 34–25 | |
| September 30 | Oregon College of Education* | | Maxwell FieldMcMinnville, OR | W 13–7 | |
| October 7 | at Lewis & Clark | | Portland, OR | W 33–9 | |
| October 14 | Chico State* | | Maxwell FieldMcMinnville, OR | W 34–7 | 1,200 |
| October 21 | Whitman | | Maxwell FieldMcMinnville, OR | W 52–0 | |
| October 28 | at College of Idaho | | Caldwell, ID | W 44–7 | |
| November 4 | at Pacific (OR) | | Forest Grove, OR | W 46–0 | |
| November 11 | Portland State* | | Maxwell FieldMcMinnville, OR | W 55–19 | |
| November 18 | Willamette | | Maxwell FieldMcMinnville, OR | W 34–12 | |
| November 25 | Whittier* | | Maxwell FieldMcMinnville, OR (NAIA semifinals) | W 18–7 | |
| December 9 | vs. No. 1 Pittsburg State* | No. 7 | Sacramento, CA (NAIA Championship Game—Camellia Bowl) | L 7–12 | 10,000 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the game |||||||

### Lewis & Clark

The 1961 Lewis & Clark Pioneers football team represented Lewis & Clark College of Portland, Oregon. In their 15th year under head coach Joe Huston, the Pioneers compiled a 6–3 record (3–2 in conference games) and finished in a tie for second place in the conference.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| September 23 | Portland State | Roosevelt HS fieldPortland, OR | W 39–6 |
| September 30 | at Southern Oregon | Fuller FieldAshland, OR | W 28–26 |
| October 7 | Linfield | Portland, OR | L 9–33 |
| October 14 | at Whitman | Walla Walla, WA | W 27–13 |
| October 21 | College of Idaho | Portland, OR | W 46–0 |
| October 28 | Willamette | McCulloch Stadium | L 7–14 |
| November 4 | at San Diego Marine Recruit Depot | San Diego, CA | L 20–22 |
| November 11 | at Oregon College of Education | Monmouth, OR | W 28–13 |
| November 18 | Pacific (OR) | Portland, OR | W 36–7 |

### College of Idaho

The 1961 College of Idaho Coyotes football team represented the College of Idaho of Caldwell, Idaho. In their fourth year under head coach James A. Brown, the team compiled a 5–4 record (3–2 against NWC opponents) and tied for second place in the Northwest Conference.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 23 | at Eastern Oregon* | La Grande, OR | W 14–0 | |
| September 30 | Westminster (UT)* | Caldwell, ID | L 7–13 | 250 |
| October 7 | at Pacific (OR) | Forest Grove, OR | W 32–0 | |
| October 14 | Willamette | Caldwell, ID | W 34–24 | |
| October 21 | at Lewis & Clark | Portland, OR | L 0–46 | |
| October 28 | Linfield | Caldwell, ID | L 7–44 | |
| November 4 | Whitman | Caldwell, ID | W 67–0 | |
| November 11 | at Oregon Tech* | Modoc FieldKlamath Falls, OR | L 6–12 | |
| November 18 | Eastern Washington* | | W 23–6 | |
| *Non-conference game ||||||

### Willamette

The 1961 Willamette Bearcats football team epresented the Willamette University of Salem, Oregon. In their tenth season under head coach Ted Ogdahl, the team compiled a 4–4 record (3–2 against NWC opponents) and finished in fourth place in the conference.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 23 | Puget Sound | | L 19–20 | |
| September 30 | Humboldt State | McCulloch StadiumSalem, OR | L 13–27 | 4,500 |
| October 14 | at College of Idaho | Caldwell, ID | L 24–34 | |
| October 21 | Pacific (OR) | | W 31–14 | |
| October 28 | Lewis & Clark | McCulloch StadiumSalem, OR | W 14–7 | |
| November 4 | at British Columbia | Vancouver, BC | W 47–20 | |
| November 11 | Whitman | McCulloch StadiumSalem, OR | W 53–7 | |
| November 18 | at Linfield | Maxwell FieldMcMinnville, OR | L 12–34 | |

### Whitman

The 1961 Whitman Fighting Missionaries football team represented Whitman College of Walla Walla, Washington. In their seventh season under head coach Robert Thomsen, the team compiled a 1–7 record (1–4 against NWC opponents) and finished in fifth place in the Northwest Conference.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| | Central Washington | | L 0–19 |
| September 30 | Eastern Oregon | Walla Walla, WA | L 13–19 |
| October 7 | at British Columbia | Vancouver, BC | L 0–16 |
| October 14 | Lewis & Clark | Walla Walla, WA | L 13–27 |
| October 21 | at Linfield | Maxwell FieldMcMinnville, OR | L 0–52 |
| October 28 | Pacific (OR) | Walla Walla, WA | W 19–13 |
| November 4 | at College of Idaho | Caldwell, ID | L 0–67 |
| November 11 | at Willamette | McCulloch StadiumSalem, OR | L 7–53 |

### Pacific (OR)

The 1961 Pacific Badgers football team represented Pacific University of Forest Grove, Oregon. In their first season under head coach Noah G. Allen, the team compiled a 0–9 record (0–5 against NWC opponents) and finished in last place in the Northwest Conference.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 23 | Pacific Lutheran* | Forest Grove, OR | L 9–12 | |
| September 30 | at Chico State* | College FieldChico, CA | L 17–20 | 3,700 |
| October 7 | College of Idaho | Forest Grove, ID | L 0–32 | |
| October 14 | Oregon College of Education* | McCready StadiumForest Grove, OR | L 14–27 | |
| October 21 | Willamette | | L 14–31 | |
| October 28 | at Whitman | Walla Walla, WA | L 13–19 | |
| November 4 | Linfield | Forest Grove, OR | L 0–46 | |
| November 11 | vs. Southern Oregon* | McCready StadiumForest Grove, OR | L 0–33 | |
| November 18 | at Lewis & Clark | Portland, OR | L 7–36 | |
| *Non-conference gameHomecoming ||||||