2006 Clemson Tigers football team
American college football season
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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.
- Tommy Bowden (8th season)
| 2006 Clemson Tigers football | |
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| Conference | Atlantic Coast Conference |
| Atlantic Division | |
| Record | 8–5 (5–3 ACC) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Rob Spence (2nd season) |
| Offensive scheme | Multiple |
| Defensive coordinator | Vic Koenning (2nd season) |
| Base defense | 4–3 |
| Captains | |
| Home stadium | Memorial Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2 | 3:30 p.m. | Florida Atlantic* | No. 18 | ESPNU | W 54–6 | 78,693 | |
| September 9 | 3:30 p.m. | at Boston College | No. 18 | ABC | L 33–34 2OT | 44,500 | |
| September 16 | 7:45 p.m. | at No. 9 Florida State | ESPN | W 27–20 | 83,510 | ||
| September 23 | 12:00 p.m. | North Carolina | No. 19 |
| Raycom/LFS | W 52–7 | 81,886 |
| September 30 | 7:00 p.m. | Louisiana Tech* | No. 18 |
| ESPNU | W 51–0 | 81,564 |
| October 7 | 12:00 p.m. | at Wake Forest | No. 15 | ESPN | W 27–17 | 35,920 | |
| October 12 | 7:30 p.m. | vs. Temple* | No. 12 | ESPNU | W 63–9 | 30,246 | |
| October 21 | 7:45 p.m. | No. 13 Georgia Tech | No. 12 |
| ESPN | W 31–7 | 82,630 |
| October 26 | 7:45 p.m. | at Virginia Tech | No. 10 | ESPN | L 7–24 | 66,233 | |
| November 4 | 12:00 p.m. | Maryland | No. 19 |
| ESPN2 | L 12–13 | 80,556 |
| November 11 | 12:00 p.m. | NC State |
| Raycom/LFS | W 20–14 | 81,785 | |
| November 25 | 12:00 p.m. | South Carolina* | No. 24 |
| ESPN | L 28–31 | 83,428 |
| December 29 | 1:00 p.m. | vs. Kentucky* | ESPN | L 20–28 | 68,024 | ||
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Rankings
Game summaries
Florida Atlantic
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Atl | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| • Clemson | 10 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 54 |
- Date: September 2
- Location: Memorial Stadium, Clemson, South Carolina
- Game start: 3:30 p.m. EST
- TV announcers (ESPNU): Dave Armstrong, Mike Tomczak
| Q1 | CLEM | Dean 25 yard field goal | CLEM 3–0 | |
| Q1 | CLEM | Stuckey 31 yard pass from Proctor (Dean kick) | CLEM 10–0 | |
| Q2 | CLEM | Merriweather 1 yard run (Dean kick) | CLEM 17–0 | |
| Q2 | CLEM | Kelly 14 yard pass from Proctor (Dean kick) | CLEM 24–0 | |
| Q3 | FAU | Leroy 24 yard field goal | CLEM 24–3 | |
| Q3 | FAU | Leroy 33 yard field goal | CLEM 24–6 | |
| Q3 | CLEM | Davis 22 yard run (Dean kick) | CLEM 31–6 | |
| Q3 | CLEM | Taylor 18 yard pass from Proctor (Dean kick) | CLEM 38–6 | |
| Q4 | CLEM | Dean 41 yard field goal | CLEM 41–6 | |
| Q4 | CLEM | Ford 92 yard punt return (kick failed) | CLEM 47–6 | |
| Q4 | CLEM | Gilliam 34 yard fumble return (Dean kick) | CLEM 54–6 | |
Florida State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Clemson | 6 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 27 |
| Florida St | 2 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 20 |
- Date: September 16
- Location: Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida
- Game start: 7:45 p.m. EST
- TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe
| Q1 | CLEM | Davis 8 yard run (kick blocked) | CLEM 6–0 | |
| Q1 | FSU | Carter returned extra point | CLEM 6–2 | |
| Q2 | FSU | Carter 69 yard blocked punt return (Cismesia kick) | FSU 9–6 | |
| Q2 | CLEM | Stuckey 19 yard pass from Proctor (Stuckey pass from Proctor) | CLEM 14–9 | |
| Q3 | CLEM | Proctor 20 yard run (run failed) | CLEM 20–9 | |
| Q3 | FSU | Cismesia 25 yard field goal | CLEM 20–12 | |
| Q4 | FSU | Surratt 1 yard run (Davis pass from Weatherford) | Tie 20–20 | |
| Q4 | CLEM | Davis 1 yard run (Dean kick) | CLEM 27–20 | |
Clemson's first win in Tallahassee since 1989.
Coaching staff
- Tommy Bowden: head coach
- Rob Spence: offensive coordinator, quarterbacks
- Vic Koenning: defensive Coordinator, defensive backs
- Brad Scott: assistant head coach, offensive line
- David Blackwell, recruiting coordinator, linebackers
- Burton Burns: running backs
- Billy Napier: tight ends
- Chris Rumph: defensive line
- Dabo Swinney: wide receivers
- Ron West: outside linebackers
- Mike Dooley: defensive video graduate assistant
- Andy Ford: defensive graduate assistant
- Paul Hogan: offensive graduate assistant
- Willie Simmons: offensive video graduate assistant