# 1961 Fresno State Bulldogs football team

The 1961 Fresno State Bulldogs football team was an American football team that represented Fresno State College (now known as California State University, Fresno) as a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) during the 1961 college football season. In their third year head coach Cecil Coleman, the Bulldogs compiled a perfect 10–0 record (5–0 in conference games), won the CCAA championship for the fourth consecutive year, and outscored opponents by a total of 256 to 119.
At the end of the season, Fresno State took part in a charity bowl game, the Mercy Bowl, against Bowling Green. The game was played as a fundraiser in memory of 16 Cal Poly Mustangs football players killed in a plane crash following a game against Bowling Green a year earlier.
The team played its home games at Ratcliffe Stadium on the campus of Fresno City College in Fresno, California.

## Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 23 | vs. Montana State* | | Memorial StadiumGreat Falls, MT | W 16–13 | 6,000–6,800 |
| September 30 | UC Santa Barbara | | Ratcliffe StadiumFresno, CA | W 22–14 | 9,066–10,500 |
| October 7 | at Pacific (CA)* | | Pacific Memorial StadiumStockton, CA | W 20–19 | 9,500–10,000 |
| October 14 | at Cal Poly | | Mustang StadiumSan Luis Obispo, CA | W 42–13 | 6,000–7,250 |
| October 21 | Los Angeles State | No. 10 | Ratcliffe StadiumFresno, CA | W 35–6 | 11,151–13,000 |
| October 28 | San Diego State | No. 6 | Ratcliffe StadiumFresno, CA (rivalry) | W 27–6 | 6,595–8,000 |
| November 3 | at Long Beach State | No. 6 | Veterans StadiumLong Beach, CA | W 37–14 | 4,800–5,000 |
| November 11 | Abilene Christian* | No. 5 | Ratcliffe StadiumFresno, CA | W 21–7 | 9,960–11,500 |
| November 18 | San Jose State* | No. 3 | Ratcliffe StadiumFresno, CA (rivalry) | W 36–27 | 14,141–15,000 |
| November 23 | vs. Bowling Green* | No. 3 | Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumLos Angeles, CA (Mercy Bowl) | W 36–6 | 33,146 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from AP Poll released prior to the game |||||||

## Statistics

The team tallied 2,825 yards of total offense (313.9 yards per game), consisting of 1,798 rushing yards and 1,027 passing yards. On defense, the Bulldogs gave up 1,938 yards to opponents, including 1,069 rushing yards and 869 passing yards.
Quarterback Beau Carter led the team in passing, completing 43 of 86 passes (50%) for 557 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions. He ranked second on the team in rushing with 480 yards on 59 carries. He also led the team in total offense with 981 yards ans scoring with 43 yards on six touchdowns, three extra point kicks, and a pair of two-point conversion runs.
Halfback Bill Kendrick led the team in rushing with 468 yards on 84 carries. End Gerald Houser led the team in receiving with 20 catches for 245 yards.

## Awards and seasons

Five Fresno State players were selected by the conference coaches as first-team players on the 1961 All-CCAA football team: back Bill Kendrick; tackles Montie Day and Sonny Biship; guard Doug Brown; and center J. R. Williams.

## Professional football

The following were selected in the 1962 NFL draft.
| Player | Position | Round | Overall | NFL Team |
| Jesse Williams | Center | 10 | 138 | New York Giants |
| Bill Knocke | Halfback | 17 | 233 | Baltimore Colts |
| Sonny Bishop | Guard | 18 | 249 | Cleveland Browns |
| John Anabo | Quarterback | 19 | 263 | Cleveland Browns |
The following were selected in the 1962 AFL Draft.
| Player | Position | Round | Overall | AFL Team |
| Sonny Bishop | Guard | 11 | 88 | San Diego Chargers |
| Jesse Williams | Center | 21 | 168 | San Diego Chargers |