In their eleventh season under head coach Len Casanova and third as an independent, the Ducks compiled a 4–6 record and outscored their opponents 152 to 112.
Three home games were played on campus at Hayward Field in Eugene, with two at Multnomah Stadium in Portland.
[16] Sophomore left halfback Mel Renfro led the team with 775 yards in six phases of the statistics.
End Kent Peterson was selected by his teammates as the most valuable player (Hoffman Award) on the 1961 Oregon team.
Halfback Mike Gaechter won the Albert Dudley Clarke award as the team's most improved player.