With five games in the books, Clemson heads into the open date still facing some serious questions.

Chad Morris was rehired to pump some life back into the offense, particularly a running game that was rendered mostly ineffective last season, but after five games, there are some serious reservations about where this unit currently sits. However, that’s what happens in today’s game when you choose to roll with inexperience at quarterback and multiple spots along the offensive line. And make no mistake, those were conscious choices.

With that said, there is a lot to like about what we’ve seen from freshman signal caller Tait Reynolds. The rookie quarterback has not only shown a lot of toughness, but also a lot of moxie in his first three starts. Reynolds took some kind of beating last time out against Miami, and just kept getting back up for more. That shows grit.

At the same time, the offense still hasn’t found its footing. Neither the passing game nor the rushing attack has been consistent enough to this point. Not nearly enough, if we are being brutally honest. Clemson’s offense ranks outside the Top 100 nationally in numerous statistical categories.

In the wins over North Carolina and Cal, it looked like the offense had found its identity, rushing for more than 470 yards in those games, only for that progress to basically be forgotten in last week’s loss to Miami, as Gideon Davidson had just five first-half carries.

The offensive line has probably been the biggest culprit. The Tigers have allowed 17 sacks this season and 42 tackles for loss. To give you an idea of exactly how bad the pass protection has been, Reynolds was pressured on 33 of his 44 dropback attempts against Miami. It probably doesn’t matter who the quarterback is when you are allowing that kind of pressure to the better defenses.

At this point, you have what you have, but not adding a veteran presence to the offensive line through the portal during the offseason is mind-blowing. It is common knowledge that a majority of offensive linemen are not ready to play as freshmen. Many need two years of development, at minimum. Yet, Clemson is relying on multiple underclassmen along its offensive line this season. A lot of weeks, it’s basically boys lining up across from grown men.

About the best you can hope for now is progress. Reynolds has certainly shown signs of growth over the first five weeks. Now it is the offensive line’s turn, especially on that right side. We already know Easton Ware is taking over at right guard following the open date, and that might not be the only change. With Elyjah Thurmon set to return from injury against Charleston Southern, it’s possible he slides out to right tackle.

Either way, the Tigers have to find a way to get better play up front. The one thing this team can ill-afford is to get its young quarterback injured due to poor pass protection.

Going back to leaning on the running game surely couldn’t hurt. Davidson has proven more than capable and Jarvis Green and Chris Johnson Jr. give the Tigers some functional depth there.

Looking ahead, the rest of the schedule is fairly manageable. Charleston Southern should serve as a get-right game and allow the staff to test some things in a live game that they’ve not been able to do just yet. Maybe they find a combination up front that actually works. At least better than what’s been seen so far.

After that, Clemson will see Virginia Tech, Florida State, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, Duke and rival South Carolina. Not one of those teams is currently ranked.