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FANTASY COLLEGE FOOTBALL THRU THE AGES: 1960-1969
By Daniel Freer | June 5, 2008
The Sixties.
Peace, Love, and College Football! No protests over this at Fantasy College Blitz…..
The decade was crazy off the field: Hair grew longer, women grew wilder, and the music became more British. The Vietnam War and the civil-rights struggle were the main non-sports issues (the latter would impact the college game more, later in the decade).
College football during the 1960s began to look more like the football we see today. Few players played both offense and defense. With more athletic and football scholarships being offered, there were more spots on rosters for specialists, so we will include the top fantasy kicker of the decade beginning with the 1960s team.
The biggest development of the decade was the new interest in the forward pass. A number of teams incorporated a pro-style passing offense with huge results. The passing game helped a few schools become competitive immediately against deeper and more talented opponents, forcing those programs to change up defensive game plans to stop aerial attacks.
The major powers, though, continued to focus on the run. From Student Body Right at USC to (later) the Wishbone and Veer at other schools, the ground game developed more complexity and caused major headaches for defensive coaches. These changes, though, would have been a godsend for the fantasy college football player in this era. Quarterbacks and receivers put up better stats, and running backs piled up the yards and the TDs. In no other era could a fantasy player get one sure-fire stud player and dominate their leagues.
So while you are listening to your Sgt.Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band album for the 16,358th time….kick back and relax as we take you on a trip through fantasy college football from the 1960s full of tangerine trees and marmalade skies…
QUARTERBACKS
Jerry Rhome - Tulsa
Honorable Mention: Steve Ramsey, North Texas State; Bill Anderson, Tulsa
The passing game became more fantasy-friendly in the 1960s, and no one had a more cordial time with it than Tulsa QB Jerry Rhome (right, Tulsa SID). After finishing third nationally in passing in 1963, Rhome tore it up in 1964 passing for nearly 2900 yards and 32 TDs, while tossing only 4 INTs (sweet numbers, as QBs in this decade still tossed a lot of picks). Some might dismiss Rhome’s numbers because he was throwing to All-American receiver Howard Twilley, but, in 1963 Twilley was not the main target in the Golden Hurricane passing game. Also, Twilley’s freaky-stat season came in 1965, after Rhome graduated.
Steve Ramsey may have never led the nation in passing, but the North Texas gun-slinger threw for 69 career TDs and over 20 TDs in each of his three eligible seasons (1967, 1968, and 1969 when remember freshmen were not eligible again until the early 1970s). Ramsey’s Mean Green squad were members of the Missouri Valley Conference at the time (along with Tulsa), and his numbers should not be scoffed at….there was some competitive football being played in the MVC during the 1960s. Although overshadowed by his Mean Green teammate, future Pro Hall of Famer Mean Joe Greene, Ramsey enjoyed a great college career and played a number of years in the NFL.
Showing love again for the Missouri Valley, Tulsa had another good fantasy QB in Bill Anderson. There was no drop-off in numbers after Jerry Rhome left, for Anderson led the nation in passing in 1965 with nearly 3500 yards and 30 TDs. Granted, Anderson was blessed with the great Howard Twilley to throw to, but, Anderson’s stats cannot be ignored…his passing yard totals for 1965 were the highest in the decade.
RUNNING BACKS
Steve Owens - Oklahoma
O.J. Simpson - USC
Jim Pilot - New Mexico State
Honorable Mention: Mercury Morris, West Texas State; Jim Bohl, New Mexico State; Jim Otis, Ohio State
No one put up two better back-to-back fantasy seasons in the decade than Oklahoma’s Steve Owens. The Sooner RB rushed for 1536 yards and 21 TDs in 1968, and, 1523 yards and 23 TDs in his Heisman-winning 1969 season. The Sooner program had slipped a little in the 1960s after dominating the previous decade, but with Owens running the ball (and Chuck Fairbanks as head coach), the OU program returned to prominence by the end of the 1960s. And, more important for fantasy aficionados, Owens was the back to drool over on draft day.
OK, I am sure we all have some non-football related comments about Orenthal James Simpson…lets just say that O.J. was a killer fantasy RB in college. Although playing only two years at USC, Simpson led the nation in rushing in 1967 (1415 yards) and 1968 (1709 yards). Simpson would also lead the nation with 22 TDs in 1968, running away with the Heisman that year. Flourishing in John McKay’s famous “Student Body Right” offense, “The Juice” was adept at pounding defenses with his size and strength, and running past defenses when they could not touch him. Unfortunately the appreciation of his football skills, in college and pro football, have taken a backseat to his infamous arrest and acquittal in a 1994 murder case.
No other running back was more fantasy-friendly in the early 1960s than New Mexico State RB Jim Pilot. Leading the nation in rushing in both 1961 and 1962, Pilot continued an impressive streak of Aggie RBs topping the nation in rushing (Pervis Atkins in 1959, Bob Gaiters in 1960), the only time in NCAA history that a school had four consecutive national rushing champions. Pilot also could go end-zone, too, scoring 21 TDs in 1961 and 15 in 1962. The late 1950s and the early 1960s were the golden years of NMSU football, and Pilot was a main cog on those Aggie squads.
Probably more known for his time with the Miami Dolphins in 1970s, and his time in prison in later seasons, West Texas State RB Eugene “Mercury” Morris finished second nationally in rushing to O.J. Simpson in both 1967 and 1968. Morris also scored 19 TDs in 1968. Note that WTSU (now West Texas A&M and a Division II school) was a member of the Missouri Valley Conference at the time (we must be man-crushing on the MVC).
Jim Bohl continued the line of good New Mexico State RBs in the mid-1960s, finishing third nationally in rushing in both 1965 and 1966, scoring 15 TDs in 1965. Not only a good RB and fantasy player, Bohl was also named to the Academic All-American Team in 1966.
Ohio State RB Jim Otis, a key player on the Buckeyes 1968 national champion squad, was a bruising back who could go end-zone, scoring 16 TDs in both 1968 and 1969. In those two seasons Otis rushed for over 2000 yards. Although he never led the NCAA in rushing, Otis did lead the NFC in rushing in 1975 while with the St. Louis Cardinals.
RECEIVERS
Howard Twilley - TulsaRon Sellers - Florida State
Honorable Mention: Vern Burke, Oregon State; Hugh Campbell, Washington State; Chuck Hughes, Texas Western
If there was a fantasy player to die for in the decade, you would commit hari-kari over Tulsa WR Howard Twilley (right, Tulsa SID). No one player was more responsible for opening up the passing game in the 1960s than Twilley, who caught 95 passes for 1178 yards and 13 TDs in 1964. Twilley would top that in 1965, hauling in 134 balls for 1779 yards and 16 TDs….finishing second in the Heisman race that season. Also, the Golden Hurricane star added 63 XPs in 1964-1965 with his foot. Twilley later enjoyed a long NFL career, winning two Super Bowl rings with the Miami Dolphins (West Texas St. RB Mercury Morris was his Dolphin teammate). Twilley still holds a few NCAA receiving records, and it would be decades before anyone came close to his other record-setting stats.
One of the best pre-Bobby Bowden era players to don a Seminole uniform, Florida State WR Ron Sellers, arguably was the top receiver of the late 1960s. Sellers had over 1200 yards receiving and 8 TD grabs in 1967, and would top that in 1968 with 1496 yards and 12 TDs. Playing in Bill Peterson’s wide-open offense, Sellers was the best WR (yes even better than FSU legend Fred Biletnikoff) and fantasy player B.B. (Before Bowden) in Florida State history.
Oregon State’s Vern Burke was the best receiver of the early 1960s, and the prime target of 1962 Heisman winner Terry Baker. Burke led the nation in receiving yards in 1962, amassing 1007 yards, while hauling in 10 TD passes. Burke would add another 796 yards and 9 TDs in 1963.
Probably better known for his coaching stints for the CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos and the NFL’s Houston Oilers, Washington State WR Hugh Campbell was one of the most consistent receivers of the early 1960s. His best season was 1960, catching 66 passes for 881 yards and 10 TDs….by far the leading receiver in 1960. Only Oregon State receiver Vern Burke would surpass Campbell in receiving stats the next two seasons.
Texas Western (now UTEP) WR Chuck Hughes had the second-best receiving season of the decade, unfortunately it was the same season (1965) that Howard Twilley obliterated all the single-season receiving records. Still, Hughes racked up 80 catches for 1519 yards and 12 TDs. His 349 yards receiving against North Texas in 1965 was the NCAA single-game record, a record that stood for nearly three decades. Sadly, Hughes may be more remedembered for suffering a fatal heart attack during a 1971 NFL game while playing for the Detroit Lions.
KICKER
Jerry DeRoyster - Wyoming
Honorable Mention: Billy Lothridge, Georgia Tech; Bob Etter, Georgia
The most fantasy-consistent (ie…”scoreboard”) kicker of the decade was Wyoming’s Jerry DeRoyster. Although his FG accuracy would have most kickers transferred to a Division III school (13 of 38 FGs in 1966, 15 of 37 FGs in 1967), DeRoyster still was one of the true place-kickers who could put up points….leading the nation among kickers with 71 points in 1966 and finishing second with 66 points in 1967. In the thin air of Laramie, DeRoyster got plenty of chances to score via FG, but, jeez, hitting only 1/3 of FG attempts would have drove modern fantasy team-owners batty.
Billy Lothridge may have been more reknowned for his QB skills, finishing second in the 1963 Heisman voting to Navy QB Roger Staubach, but Lothridge also was a pretty good kicker, too. The Yellow Jacket/Ramblin Wreck QB went 12 of 15 FGs in 1963, stellar stats for the era.
Georgia kicker Bob Etter was also an accurate FG kicker, going 10-13 FG in 1965 and 12-15 FG in 1966. Only Wyoming’s DeRoyster finished ahead of Etter in 1966 in scoring by kickers
DEFENSE
Alabama
Honorable Mention: LSU, Mississippi, Utah State
The Alabama Crimson Tide was the dominant program of the early 1960s, and they used a stingy defense to pave the way for those national titles. Led by the likes of Lee Roy Jordan and Billy Neighbors, Bear Bryant’s Bama Boys were especially brutal in 1961….allowing only 132 yards offense and 2.2 points per game (ouch!).
Like in the previous decade, the SEC had the dominant defenses of the 1960’s, with LSU and Ole Miss leading the SEC and the nation in all defensive categories….when Alabama did not. No wonder Bear Bryant never had a Heisman winner while at Bama - those SEC defenses!
Utah State enjoyed its golden age of football in the early 1960s with one of the best defenses not in the SEC. Led by huge Outland Trophy winner/broadcaster/actor/TV florist Merlin Olsen (6-5, 265 lbs), the well-oiled offenses in the West would be ground to a halt by the Aggie D.
FREAKY FAMILY TIDBIT
If they played fantasy football in the 1960s, the one name that would come up often would be “Dobbs”. As in Glenn Dobbs (Tulsa head coach) and Bobby Dobbs (Texas Western/UTEP coach). The Dobbs brothers (Glenn is the older, Bobby the younger) were most responsible for the wide-open passing games of the mid-1960’s. In 1965, Glenn’s Tulsa squad had the nation’s top QB and receiver (Bill Anderson, Howard Twilley), while Bobby’s “Flyin’ Miners” of Texas Western finshed second nationally in both categories (Billy Stevens, Chuck Hughes). Interesting is that the Bobby coached Tulsa from 1955-1960, and his older brother Glenn took over in 1961.
FANTASY PLAYER OF THE DECADE (F-POD)
Howard Twilley of Tulsa wins this, mainly because no receiver dominated the game like Twilley did in the mid-1960s. As mentioned previously, it would be decades before most of Twilley’s receiving records would be broken. Note that his 134 receptions in 1965 were more than the total number of pass completions at most schools and more than the total number of pass attempts at a few schools.
Oklahoma’s Steve Owens had a stellar two seasons to close out the decade, and no running back up to the time put together as many productive seasons. However, Twilley was just so much farther ahead at his position he deserved the award.
Topics: Daniel Freer |
