'It's On All of Us': Clemson OC Chad Morris Details Offense's Issues to Start 2026

When Chad Morris was hired in January to revamp the Clemson Tigers’ offense, fans expected something similar to the product that he had from 2011-14. That hasn’t been the case in his first two games.

Morris knows it, too.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Morris has sifted through film of his team’s loss to LSU and underwhelming win over Georgia Southern, and he hasn’t seen the success that he saw from his group in fall camp. Since the season began, “it’s been on all of us”, as he said this week.

He points the blame at himself, first and foremost.

“We have not performed to the level that we showed during camp,” Morris said Wednesday. “We haven’t performed consistently enough. We’ve been consistently inconsistent, and obviously that starts with me, that starts with our staff.”

Clemson’s offense has seen multiple issues thus far. The Tigers have struggled to run the ball, third down efficiency has sputtered drives, among other things. Morris adds that, although the program played a team like LSU, and Georgia Southern isn’t a pushover, Clemson is at blame for its slow start, not the other programs.

If it were to play to its ability, the Tigers could look like an ACC Championship squad.

“What we’re not doing has nothing to do with the opponent,” he said. “We’re not doing some of the routine things that get you in rhythm, and when you can’t get in rhythm offensively, it’s just hard to get anything established.”

A lot of it is that there’s a weak link in the offense at times, which leads to penalties, plays that crash and burn or even negative yardage situations. It’s not just one player, though, with the efficiency slowing down Clemson to begin 2026.

“What we’re not doing has nothing to do with the opponent,” Morris said. ‘We’re not doing some of the routine things that get you in rhythm, and when you can’t get in rhythm offensively, it’s just hard to get anything established.”

But the mentality hasn’t changed with each practice, and that begins with the 57-year-old bringing positive energy to his unit every day. The Tigers will look to turn it around with North Carolina, which was the game last year where Clemson erupted for 28 first-quarter points in Chapel Hill.

While it’s tough to replicate a number like that, a focused attitude will only help.

“You don’t walk in there, and you don’t pout and the same way we told the guys, we’re not coming in here pouting,” he said. “We’re not coming in here making excuses. We’re going to get back up and go to work, and that’s what you do.”

After all, we’ve seen what Morris can do in the past with Clemson’s offense with head coach Dabo Swinney. Perhaps all it takes is one part of the game to bring the revival back.

But only time will tell, and it’s running out fast.

“Confidence breeds confidence, and you just keep going and we have yet to do that,” he said. “We’re waiting on that one play, that one drive, that one, ‘Okay, here we go’, but the guys are working hard and they see it, and we’ll continue to get better.”

Enjoy our content? Make ClemsonOnSI a preferred source to see more stories from us on Google by clicking here.

Add us as a preferred source on Google