Clemson offense just scratching the surface of what it can be

Clemson finished with 613 total yards and 47 points in its beatdown of Louisville last Saturday, and while the offensive performance was impressive, there is still plenty of room for growth.

The Tigers have relied mostly on veterans offensively through three games with junior Kelly Bryant starting at quarterback, the top three receivers being juniors and a junior also starting at running back.

But Clemson has plenty of talented underclassmen who have shown flashes of what they can be. As the freshmen and sophomores get more reps in practice and games, the offense should continue to get better.

“I don’t think, I know it’s going to get better,” junior wide out Ray-Ray McCloud said. “Our job as veterans is to push them and show them the ropes and help them grow as football players.”

The Tigers have passed two of the toughest tests on their schedule, beating a pair of top 15 teams in Auburn and Louisville.

The offense was particularly impressive against the Cardinals and Bryant was a big reason why.

The former Wren star has exceeded expectations in his first year as a starter with 895 total yards, seven total touchdowns and only one turnover.

Bryant is completing nearly 69 percent of his passes and has been impressive throwing the deep ball, but he has also missed several easy throws.

“I know sometimes during the game Saturday balls were sailing high on me. It’s just me trying to press,” Bryant said. “I need to take a deep breath and enjoy the moment and relax and play rather than trying to play tense and too tight. I feel like I’ve gotten better. It’s just being a consistent performer day in and day out on the practice fields and on Saturday.”

At receiver McCloud, Hunter Renfrow and Deon Cain have combined for 39 catches. No one else on the team has more than four.

But Amari Rodgers and Tee Higgins were impressive during preseason camp and could be key contributors by the end of the year.

Freshman running back Travis Etienne was described as the most impressive runner with the ball in his hands during the preseason and that has carried over into games.

He leads the Tigers in rushing with 179 yards, despite C.J. Fuller, Adam Choice and Tavien Feaster each getting more carries.

Clemson’s offense is good now, but by the end of the season it has a chance to be special.

“We were excited to win the game last week, but there’s a lot we’ve got to improve on,” coach Dabo Swinney said. “A lot of missed opportunities on offense.”

This story was originally published September 21, 2017 at 4:21 PM with the headline "Clemson offense just scratching the surface of what it can be."