Through two games, the Clemson offense has not been all that productive.
Cade Klubnik and Co. did seem to find their footing, at least somewhat, in the second half against Troy, but are they playing at a level that will be good enough to go on the road and beat Georgia Tech?
The Tigers are currently a 6-point road favorite over the Yellow Jackets, per BetMGM, but betting lines don’t mean much when you’ve struggled to put points on the board for much of the first two games.
Just how bad has it been? Clemson is currently ranked No. 109 nationally in scoring offense, scoring 18.5 points per contest. FIU, Colorado State, Sam Houston and Jacksonville State are just a few of the teams with better numbers at this point.
The Tigers rank No. 118 in total offense, averaging 288.5 yards per contest. Clemson managed just 316 yards of offense in the comeback win over Troy, mustering just 114 in the first half.
With the lack of production, it will come as no surprise that Clemson ranks just 125th nationally in average time of possession.
The running game has been one of the biggest issues. Again, the Tigers did seem to find something there over the final two quarters against Troy, but through two games, the rushing offense ranks No. 127 overall, averaging 75.5 yards per game.
Despite having a senior quarterback and an offensive coordinator in Garrett Riley, who is now in his third season, the passing attack hasn’t fared all that well either. Clemson ranks No. 76 with 213 passing yards per contest and 92nd in passing efficiency (121.59).
The Tigers also rank just 118th in total first downs (30), which is tied with N. Illinois.
Maybe the team was suffering from a bit of a hangover against Troy after so much attention was devoted to the opener against LSU. The Bayou Bengals seemed to experience one themselves during an ugly 23-7 win over La Tech over the weekend.
Or maybe, this offense just isn’t what most thought it would be. With a road trip to Georgia Tech looming, we will know the answer on Saturday.
Photo by Bart Boatwright