For Clemson to have the second half that it is hoping for, the Tigers need to get better on offense in a hurry. Grayson Mann of TigerNet shared over on social media that meager Clemson's offense is averaging only 18.0 points per game heading into the bye week. That is good enough for 126th in the nation. While Clemson is improving at quarterback and in the running game, there is work to be done.
Clemson's big decision to pivot off Christopher Vizzina in favor of true freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds obviously played a part in this. While Reynolds has shown signs of great promise, he is not consistently getting this team into the end zone. Most of Clemson's scoring this season has come off the reliable right leg of placekicker extraordinaire Nolan Hauser. It is all about quarterback refinement.
This puts a greater emphasis on offensive coordinator Chad Morris to truly earn his job in the second half. Clemson might not face another ranked team the rest of the way. While Duke, Virginia Tech, and maybe even Florida State could climb up the polls, let us not count our chickens before they hatch. Clemson has a chance to beat up on lesser opponents, but Reynolds has to take his game up a level.
Heading into the open date, Clemson's offense has averaged 18.0 points per game.
— Grayson Mann (@gray_mann21) October 5, 2026
That ties them for 126th in the country.
A unit that absolutely has to get better on the other side of this schedule.
How Chad Morris can get the most out of Tait Reynolds in the second half
It starts by staying committed to the running game. In Clemson's three wins this season over Georgia Southern, North Carolina, and Cal, Gideon Davidson has had 14 or more touches. In the Tigers' two defeats thus far at LSU and at home versus Miami, Davidson was held to only eight touches on both occasions. Clearly, Morris has to make it a point to get Davidson involved early and often in games.
What this will do is open up the passing lanes for Reynolds to rifle the pigskin to Clemson's strong receiving corps. He is coming off his best game of the season from a statistical standpoint against Miami. Reynolds completed 65.9 percent of his passes for 295 yards and a pick. He may only have one touchdown pass on his resume, but the true freshman quarterback is improving in every game.
Simply put, Morris has to coach his tail off to get the most out of Clemson's makeshift offense. The running game comes and goes, while the tight ends have been virtually non-existent in the passing game. This is a consequence of the team's biggest weakness, which is undeniably its toothless offensive line. If that does not improve, then neither will the running game or the quarterback play.
Right now, Morris needs to devise ways to get the ball into Davidson's hands more often to take some pressure off Reynolds in his true freshman season. More importantly, he has to game plan ways to make Clemson's offense more dynamic in the red zone. Yes, Hauser will make most of the kicks he is asked to attempt. However, Clemson will not take that next step offensively without some thought.
Clemson is not refined enough offensively to let any scoring opportunity go to waste.
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