Since taking over as head coach in 1957, Powell Toth and his Aviators could not seem to get over the four win hump. After mounting just three wins in his first season, his teams finished with four wins in each of the next three seasons - that was until 1961.
The 1961 season culminated to be one of the best in Butler history, as the Aviators finished a perfect 10-0 and took the SWBL crown. The championship was the first for Butler since the 1956 season, and the mark of perfection was the first since the storied season of 1932.
The offense put up 288 points on the season, including 41 touchdowns, mounting 3,400 yards of total offense. On the other side of the ball, the Butler defense was considered to be one of the more rugged outfits in the SWBL. They held their opponents to just 1,700 yards of total offense and allowed just 101 points. The defense registered a total of 33 takeaways on the year, 8 of which were fumbles and 25 were interceptions. The Aviators also added 4 blocked punts to their superlatives.
