CLEMSON — Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was asked how much confidence he had in offensive coordinator Garrett Riley during an already scheduled conference call with the media on Monday.
Riley’s play calling has been questioned throughout the first month of the season, as the Tigers struggle to consistently move the football and score. The offense’s issues have played a huge role in why the Tigers are off to their first 1-3 start since the 2004 season.
Clemson currently ranks 14th in the ACC in total offense, averaging 365.3 yards per game, and 16th in scoring offense, 19.8 points per game.
“Those are things you evaluate as you go through the course of a season and certainly at the end of the year,” Swinney said. “There are definitely somethings that everybody can do better on both sides of the ball.
“There have also been a lot of things that have been there that we have not executed well.”
The Tigers came into the season with a ton of promise. They returned quarterback Cade Klubnik, as well as wide receivers Antonio Williams, Bryant Wesco, T.J. Moore and Tyler Brown from an offense that averaged 34.7 points and 451.9 yards per game.
“There is a lot that goes into it, but we got good people, and we are all going to be better,” Swinney said. “I love the people that we have, and it is my job to help them be better and find away to go finish strong and that is what our focus is going to be on.”
Swinney was asked about his evaluation of Garrett following a fourth-and-one play midway through the third quarter from the Syracuse 44-yard line. Running back Adam Randell averaged 8.1 yards per carry against the Orange, however, Riley chose to throw the football on the critical play with Clemson trailing by 13 points with 8:01 to play in the quarter.
“That is probably one that I wish we had back,” Swinney said after the game. “Garrett liked the call. He felt like he had the right call, and it just did not work out. That is one you wish you had back.”