1961 Northwestern Wildcats football team

1961 Northwestern Wildcats football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record4–5 (2–4 Big Ten)
Head coach
MVPBoyd "Bud" Melvin
CaptainLarry Onesti
Home stadiumDyche Stadium
Seasons
← 1960
1962 →
1961 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 2 Ohio State $ 6 0 0 8 0 1
No. 6 Minnesota 6 1 0 8 2 0
No. 8 Michigan State 5 2 0 7 2 0
No. 12 Purdue 4 2 0 6 3 0
Wisconsin 4 3 0 6 3 0
Michigan 3 3 0 6 3 0
Iowa 2 4 0 5 4 0
Northwestern 2 4 0 4 5 0
Indiana 0 6 0 2 7 0
Illinois 0 7 0 0 9 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1961 Northwestern Wildcats team was an American football team that represented Northwestern University during the 1961 Big Ten Conference football season. In their sixth year under head coach Ara Parseghian, the Wildcats compiled a 4–5 record (2–4 in conference games), and finished in a tie for seventh place in the Big Ten Conference. Northwestern played home games at Dyche Stadium in Evanston, Illinois.

Highlights of the season included a 45–0 victory over Boston College in the season opener and a narrow 12–10 victory over No. 8 Notre Dame. The Wildcats were 4–2 after six games, but then lost three consecutive games at the end of the season.

Senior center and middle linebacker Larry Onesti was the team captain and received first-team All-Big Ten honors. Senior tackle Boyd "Bud" Melvin was selected as the team's most valuable player.