PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Down 19-7 in the fourth quarter against Columbia, the 1961 Scarlet Knights had their backs against the wall. The team entered the day with an 8-0 record in search of the first undefeated campaign in program history, a goal set heading into the season.
Faced with adversity, the team responded and etched themselves into history. The sellout crowd at Rutgers Stadium helped propel a 25-point quarter that included a pair of interceptions by Pierce Frauenheim, one of the unsung heroes of the storied 1961 squad.
"We had a heck of a fourth quarter," Frauenheim recalled about the 32-19 win. "I was fortunate enough to have two interceptions in the quarter with one for a touchdown. It was important for me and everyone on the team to go undefeated, and certainly it was a team effort. Alex Kroll back there in '61 said, 'many years later, we will be the gold standard for Rutgers football.' And I think we are the gold standard for that first undefeated season."
Members of that historic team will be recognized 60 years later this weekend as the Scarlet Knights host Wisconsin at SHI Stadium. Frauenheim will serve as the honorary captain during the coin toss.
"Very much looking forward to it," Frauenheim said. "It's certainly a privilege and an honor for me to do that."
After finishing 8-1 in 1960 in coach John Bateman's first year, the 1961 season began with high expectations. The season opener at Princeton resulted in a tight 16-13 victory before the Scarlet Knights took off with five-straight wins of at least 14 points. The Middle Atlantic Conference championship was clinched with a 27-19 triumph over Delaware.
Alex Kroll (pictured above with Bateman), a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, served as team captain. The All-American led RU as a linebacker and center, being credited with making the quarterback sneak an offensive weapon. The play resulted in seven touchdowns with Kroll clearing the way. Overall, 1,968 of the team's 2,612 yards of total offense came on the ground.
"Throughout the season, the quarterback sneak was a powerful play for us due to Alex," Frauenheim said. "But it wasn't Alex by himself. It was our two offensive guards, and they weren't all that big, they were only 170 pounds each. They were very quick, and they got off the ball and that helped with that play quite a bit."
Quarterbacks Sam Mudie (703 yards of total offense) and Bill Speranza (318 passing yards) each saw time, with Mudie earning the Homer Hazel Award as the team's most valuable player. Fullback Steve Simms led the ground game with 614 yards to also earn All-America honors with Kroll that season. The offense recorded 32 rushing touchdowns.
On defense, the unit never allowed more than 19 points in a game. The group led the nation with 23 interceptions and 405 yards in returns, led by six for 167 yards by the versatile Mudie.
"It was team defense," Frauenheim, who had four interceptions on the season, said. "Everyone knew what they were doing, they executed, and it was a very tough defense. Joe Kowalski could be considered the leader of that defense. When we were in a 5-4 defense, he was the cornerback. Then we would go into a 5-3 defense, he was a middle linebacker. I think he led the team in tackles. Another excellent player."
A 22-6 road win over Colgate setup the finale versus Columbia, who entered 6-2. The Lions kicked a field goal in the first quarter, but Frauenheim punched in a four-year rushing score to make it 7-3 heading into halftime. However, Columbia scored two touchdowns and followed with a pair of two-point conversions to build a 12-point lead after three.
The RU comeback started on a touchdown pass from Speranza to Lee Curley, but the two-pointer failed. On the ensuing Columbia drive, Frauenheim recorded an interception and returned it to the opposing 29. Speranza would immediately tie it up with a rushing score. The defense held again, and Simms put the Scarlet Knights on top with a three-yard rush. Frauenheim set off the celebration with a 30-yard pick-six to cement the first undefeated season in program history.
"The bells rang after the game," Frauenheim said. "We all remember that day."
Rutgers finished ranked No. 15 in the final
Associated Press Poll and joined national champion Alabama as the only undefeated and untied teams in the country. The team was enshrined in the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014 and will always be remembered as the first undefeated squad in Rutgers football history, the gold standard.
1961 Rutgers Football
