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.