In its 26th season under head coach Frank Howard, the team compiled a 5–5 record (5–2 against conference opponents), tied for the ACC championship, and was outscored by a total of 137 to 117.
[1][2] The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina.
[3] Four Clemson players were selected by the Associated Press (AP) or the United Press International (UPI) as first-team players on the 1965 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team: back Hugh Mauldin (AP-1, UPI-1); offensive tackle Johnny Boyette (AP-1, UPI-1); defensive end Butch Sursavage (AP-1, UPI-1); and linebacker Bill Hecht (AP-1, UPI-1).
[4][5] ^a South Carolina was forced by the ACC to forfeit all conference games due to ineligible players.
Clemson and NC State, who had both lost to South Carolina, were declared co-champions.