2006 Clemson Tigers football team

2006 Clemson Tigers football
Music City Bowl, L 20–28 vs. Kentucky
ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference
DivisionAtlantic Division
Record8–5 (5–3 ACC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorRob Spence (2nd season)
Offensive schemeMultiple
Defensive coordinatorVic Koenning (2nd season)
Base defense4–3
Captains
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
2006 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Atlantic Division
No. 18 Wake Forest x$   6 2     11 3  
No. 20 Boston College   5 3     10 3  
Maryland   5 3     9 4  
Clemson   5 3     8 5  
Florida State   3 5     7 6  
NC State   2 6     3 9  
Coastal Division
Georgia Tech x   7 1     9 5  
No. 19 Virginia Tech   6 2     10 3  
Virginia   4 4     5 7  
Miami (FL)   3 5     7 6  
North Carolina   2 6     3 9  
Duke   0 8     0 12  
Championship: Wake Forest 9, Georgia Tech 6
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2006 Clemson Tigers football team represented Clemson University as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) during the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by eighth-year head coach Tommy Bowden, the Tigers compiled an overall record of 8–5 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for second in the ACC's Atlantic Division. Clemson was invited to the Music City Bowl, where the Tigers lost to Kentucky. The team played home games at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina.

Entering the season, the Tigers had high expectations, hoping to compete for a spot in the ACC Championship Game. After a defeat at Boston College in the second game of the season, Clemson won its next six contests, averaging nearly 42 points a game over the winning streak. But the Tigers lost four out of their last five games, including a loss to rival South Carolina in the regular season finale.

ESPN's College Gameday made its first-ever appearance in Clemson for the game between the Tigers and Georgia Tech on October 21. Portions of the season, specifically the games against Florida Atlantic and Florida State, were featured in the 2020 film Safety, about sophomore safety Ray McElrathbey taking care of his younger brother while their mother receives treatment for drug addiction.

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 23:30 p.m.Florida Atlantic*No. 18ESPNUW 54–678,693
September 93:30 p.m.at Boston CollegeNo. 18ABCL 33–34 2OT44,500
September 167:45 p.m.at No. 9 Florida StateESPNW 27–2083,510
September 2312:00 p.m.North CarolinaNo. 19
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Clemson, SC
Raycom/LFSW 52–781,886
September 307:00 p.m.Louisiana Tech*No. 18
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Clemson, SC
ESPNUW 51–081,564
October 712:00 p.m.at Wake ForestNo. 15ESPNW 27–1735,920
October 127:30 p.m.vs. Temple*No. 12ESPNUW 63–930,246
October 217:45 p.m.No. 13 Georgia TechNo. 12
ESPNW 31–782,630
October 267:45 p.m.at Virginia TechNo. 10ESPNL 7–2466,233
November 412:00 p.m.MarylandNo. 19
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Clemson, SC
ESPN2L 12–1380,556
November 1112:00 p.m.NC State
Raycom/LFSW 20–1481,785
November 2512:00 p.m.South Carolina*No. 24
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Clemson, SC (rivalry)
ESPNL 28–3183,428
December 291:00 p.m.vs. Kentucky*ESPNL 20–2868,024
  • *Non-conference game
  • Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

[1][2][3]

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
AP1818RV19181512121019RV2524RV
Coaches1818RV23191512121119RV2524RV
HarrisNot released19151212121924Not released
BCSNot released12121924Not released

Game summaries

Florida Atlantic

Team 1 234Total
Florida Atl 0 060 6
• Clemson 10 141416 54

[4]

Florida State

Team 1 234Total
• Clemson 6 867 27
Florida St 2 738 20

Clemson's first win in Tallahassee since 1989.

[5]

Coaching staff

References

  1. ^ "Clemson Tigers Schedule 2006". ESPN. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  2. ^ "2006 Clemson Tigers Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  3. ^ "2006-07 Football Schedule". Clemson University. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  4. ^ ESPN. Retrieved 2014-Sep-09.
  5. ^ ESPN. Retrieved 2014-Sep-09.