CLEMSON, S.C. — A 37-0 shutout of Charleston Southern did little to settle the biggest question hanging over Clemson football: why the Tigers cannot move the ball through the air.
Six games in, Clemson has thrown only 2 touchdown passes and 7 interceptions. The offense averages 174.2 passing yards a game, and it gains fewer than 6 yards per throw.
Saturday showed the same pattern. Freshman Tait Reynolds went 17 of 26 for 127 yards without a scoring pass, and backup Trent Pearman was picked off twice in the fourth quarter. Top receiver T.J. Moore was targeted five times in the end zone and came away empty each time.
Head coach Dabo Swinney pointed to dropped passes as a big part of the problem and said every part of the passing game has to improve.
For now, the Tigers depend on the legs of Chris Johnson Jr. and Gideon Davidson out of the backfield, plus kicker Nolan Hauser, who hit from 59 yards against the Buccaneers.
The Tigers, 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the ACC, host Virginia Tech on Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium on ESPN. It will be their fifth night kickoff this season. The Hokies are 5-2 in James Franklin’s first year after beating Georgia Tech 34-24.
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