CLEMSON – In head coach Dabo Swinney’s Tuesday press conference at the Smart Family Media Center, he used the words “growing pains” almost ten separate times to describe the Tigers’ current offensive issues.

Sitting at 3-3 overall record with two wins and losses each in ACC-play, Clemson’s offensive attack has struggled to fulfill the high-flying promises offensive coordinator Chad Morris breathed in January.

During Morris’ first tenure at Clemson from 2011-14, the Tigers were known for their explosive passing attack, throwing down the field several different times in each quarter. However, since rejoining Swinney’s staff, the results have not looked the same for a young Tigers’ offense.

Currently, The Tigers have the worst passing offense and touchdown percentage in the conference and rank just one spot off of the bottom in total scoring offense, averaging just 21.4 points per game. Clemson’s offense is responsible for just 48 percent of the Tigers’ total points so far this year.

Further, starting quarterback Tait Reynolds has only thrown one touchdown pass in five starts and seven games played, though he did run in for another in Clemson’s 20-16 loss to Virginia Tech Saturday. 

After talking about Reynolds’ struggles at the podium Tuesday, Swinney also addressed sophomore running back Gideon Dabidson, who was sidelined in the second half at times after being “feast or famine” in his blocking and decision making abilities, according to his head coach. 

The Tigers’ leader also discussed wide receiver and offensive line struggles, equating the overarching offensive issues to two main pillars– execution and growing pains.

“Some growing pains and some precision (issues) in what we’re doing, but everybody’s working hard,” Swinney said. “Everybody’s busting their butt, and the other night it hurt because we had so many opportunities to win the game, and we didn’t do it.” 

Entering the season, Swinney and his staff understood that his starting offense would be, at least in some ways, a young team. Veteran quarterback Cade Klubnik, wide receiver Antonio Williams and right tackle Blake Miller were all headed off to the NFL, removing three leaders from that side of the ball.

However, Swinney did not expect the level of growing pains offensively that the Tigers have experienced so far this season, especially after quarterback Christopher Vizzina, who started the first two games for Clemson, left a Georgia Southern victory early with an elbow injury.

“I didn’t anticipate it, thought we’d be better,” Swinney said. “We all thought we’d be better. We’ve had some challenges that we didn’t anticipate. We didn’t. We thought we’d have a little bit more of a veteran presence at quarterback, you don’t plan for that. We didn’t plan for CV to get hurt in the third series of the second game, and you know really not be available. So that wasn’t something we planned for.”

Earlier in the season, Swinney asserted that Reynolds was named the starting signal-caller based on his body of work on the field. On Tuesday, though, Swinney said Vizzina did not have the ability to create competition for Reynolds. It has also given him opportunities to play as an underclassman.

“That’s not an excuse or anything like that, but that’s created opportunity for Tait and it’s accelerated his growth,” Swinney said. “There’s been some challenges here and there. We’ve had a couple injuries, but we’ve had some guys kind of settle in in the front.”

Specifically, Swinney said, that starts with the Tigers’ improved offensive line, a unit that definitely went through some growing pains early in the season, allowing 21 sacks for 109 sack yards.

“I think Colin Sadler, these last couple games,he’s doing a good job,” Swinney said. “I think he’s really trying to step up and be the leader that we need. Harris (Sewell), same thing. Brayden Jacobs, he’s just steady-headed. Just count on him and getting Elijah back. There were a lot of good things. I like a lot of what I’m seeing. It’s just not translating where we need to be. And again, part of it is getting off to a bad start, and getting behind in some areas and playing a couple really good teams that are just better than us right now. And so, you know, that’s part of football.”

Swinney and the Tigers will have a very inhospitable time working through their next set of growing pains on Saturday, when Clemson will head to Tallahassee, Fla., to take on Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium.