1945 Clemson Tigers football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1945
| team = Clemson Tigers
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Southern Conference
| short_conf = SoCon
| record = 6–3–1
| conf_record = 2–1–1
| head_coach = Frank Howard
| hc_year = 6th
| captain = Ralph Jenkins
| stadium = Memorial Stadium
}}
{{1945 Southern Conference football standings}}
The 1945 Clemson Tigers football team was an American football team that represented Clemson College during the 1945 college football season. In its sixth season under head coach Frank Howard, the team compiled a 6–3–1 record (2–1–1 against conference opponents), finished fourth in the conference, and outscored opponents by a total of 211 to 73.{{cite web|title=2016 Media Guide|url=https://issuu.com/clemsontigers/docs/2016_guide|website=clemsontigers.com|publisher=Clemson Athletics|access-date=June 23, 2017|pages=200–208|format=PDF|date=2016}}{{cite web|title=1945 Clemson Tigers Schedule and Results|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|access-date=October 1, 2019|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/clemson/1945-schedule.html}} The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina.
Center Ralph Jenkins was the team captain. The team's statistical leaders included tailback Marion Butler with 239 passing yards, fullback Dewey Quinn with 392 rushing yards, and Butler and fullback Jim Reynolds with 30 points scored (5 touchdowns each).{{cite web|title=Clemson 1960 Football Media Guide|publisher=Clemson University|year=1960|pages=40–41|url=https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1076&context=fball_media}}
Tackle Bob Turner and center Ralph Jenkins were selected as first-team players on the 1945 All-Southern Conference football team.Clemson 1960 Football Media Guide, p. 22.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1945
| poll = AP
| rank = y
| attend = y
| source = y
|September 22||{{cfb link|year=1945|team=Presbyterian Blue Hose|title=Presbyterian}}
| September 29|at|Georgia
| October 6|at|NC State||Riddick Stadium|Raleigh, NC (rivalry)|W 13–0|5,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/winston-salem-journal-clemson-scores-twi/137250557/|work=Winston-Salem Journal|title=Clemson scores twice to beat Wolfpack, 13–0|date=October 7, 1945|accessdate=December 22, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}
| October 13 || Pensacola NAS||Memorial Stadium|Clemson, SC|W 7–6|5,000|{{cite news |author= |title=Clemson Earns Heard 7-6 Victor Over Pensacola |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/82594017/the-greenville-news/ |newspaper=The Greenville News |location=Greenville, South Carolina |date=October 14, 1945 |page=10 |access-date=August 1, 2021 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}
| October 25|at|South Carolina||Carolina Stadium|Columbia, SC (rivalry) |T 0–0|25,000|{{cite news|title=Tigers, Birds In Scoreless Tie|newspaper=The Greenville News|date=October 26, 1945|pages=1, 19|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36749822/tigers_birds_in_scoreless_tie/|via=Newspapers.com}}
| November 2|at|Miami (FL)
| November 10 || VPI||Memorial Stadium|Clemson, SC |W 35–0||{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-knoxville-journal-clemson-takes-virg/137250798/|work=The Knoxville Journal|title=Clemson takes Virginia to cleaners, 35–0|date=November 11, 1945|accessdate=December 22, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}
| November 17|at|Tulane
| November 24|at|Georgia Tech
| December 1 || Wake Forest|18|Memorial Stadium|Clemson, SC|L 6–13|15,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-courier-journal-wake-forest-rally-fl/137249552/|work=The Courier-Journal|title=Wake Forest rally flips Clemson 13–6|date=December 2, 1945|accessdate=December 22, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
Rankings
{{see also|1945 college football rankings}}
{{Ranking movements
| poll1title = AP
| poll1firstweek = 1
| poll1lastweek = 9
| poll1_1=NR
| poll1_2=NR
| poll1_3=NR
| poll1_4=NR
| poll1_5=NR
| poll1_6=NR
| poll1_7=NR
| poll1_8=18
| poll1_9=NR
}}