1961 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team

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The 1961 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team represented South Dakota State University in the North Central Conference (NCC) during the 1961 season. Led by 15th-year head coach Ralph Ginn, the Jackrabbits finished 8–2 overall and 5–1 in the NCC, tying for the conference championship. They outscored opponents 376 to 97 and played their home games at State Field in Brookings, South Dakota. Co-captains were fullback Joe Thorne and guard Mike Sterner.

Key players and statistics
- Offense: The team totaled 4,061 yards (406.1 per game), with 2,746 rushing yards (274.6 per game) and 1,315 passing yards (131.5 per game). On defense, they allowed 1,944 yards (194.4 per game) — 1,219 rushing and 725 passing.
- Passing and totals: Quarterback Dean Koster led the passing game, completing 68 of 118 passes for 1,147 yards, 11 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, and he totaled 1,175 yards of total offense.
- Rushing: Fullback Joe Thorne led the team in rushing with 958 yards on 174 carries and was the leading scorer with 72 points (12 touchdowns and a two-point conversion).
- Other backs: Wayne Rasmussen and Jim Dwyer each rushed for 387 yards.
- Receiving: End Roger Eischens was the top receiver with 27 catches for 470 yards and four touchdowns.

Honors
- Joe Thorne earned second-team honors on the 1961 Little All-America team.
- Thorne and Dan Boals of State College of Iowa were named NCC co-MVPs by the Associated Press.
- Six Jackrabbits received All-NCC honors from the AP or UPI: Roger Eischens (AP-1, UPI-1), Mike Sterner (AP-1, UPI-1), Joe Thorne (AP-1, UPI-2), Ron Frank (AP-2, UPI-1), Dean Koster (AP-1, UPI-honorable mention), and John Sterner (AP-2, UPI-2).