Garrett Riley has heard the criticism at times during his Clemson tenure, especially when it comes to how often the Tigers lean on the run game. With the sport shifting rapidly and every possession under a microscope, play-calling has become one of the most dissected parts of Clemson’s season. But when Riley met with the media on Wednesday, he didn’t hesitate when asked how he felt about the overall balance of the offense.
“We are a pretty balanced attack in terms of run-pass,” Riley said. “Been that way really my whole time here.”
Statistically, Clemson sits close to even, throwing the ball 360 times and running it 314. But certain stretches have fueled the debate. Against LSU to open the season, the Tigers ran the ball only four times after halftime despite trailing by just one score. A week later, Troy built a 16–3 lead as Clemson rushed only 11 times in the first half. And while the offense has settled into a better rhythm recently, the ground production still lags at 120.9 yards per game, ranking 109th nationally. The passing game, meanwhile, sits in the top 20.
“The more effective that is, it is going to make everything better,” Riley said of establishing a dependable run game. “It is going to make the quarterback’s life easier… We just got to keep finding ways to make that effective for us.”
Last Friday’s narrow win over Louisville finally provided a spark. Adam Randall, continuing his transition from wide receiver to running back, broke free for a 46-yard run in the third quarter and later finished off a short touchdown that ultimately won the game. After a sluggish start, Clemson committed to the run and saw it pay off.
“I was proud of us after a kind of slow start in the run game,” Riley said. “Was able to stay with it and grind away, and it ended up with Adam making the difference for us offensively.”
But only minutes after that win, the offense absorbed major setbacks. Freshman standout Brayden Jacobs injured himself during a postgame celebration and was ruled out for the year. Not long after, the Tigers learned they had also lost Walker Parks for the remainder of the season, cutting deep into the offensive line rotation.
“It’s just college football, man,” Riley said with a smile. “You have who you have, and you’ve got to figure out a way to beat theirs with whatever we have.”
With depth shrinking up front, Clemson will rely on a backfield pairing of freshman Gideon Davidson and senior Adam Randall. And for Riley, the final weeks of the season also mark the closing chapter of his time with Cade Klubnik, a quarterback he deeply respects.
“I love him,” Riley said. “Just a mentally tough guy… anytime you’re with someone and going through the ups and downs together and trying to mentor him, there’s going to be a connection.”
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Clemson’s seniors will take their final run down the Hill on Saturday, and Riley hopes the Tigers finish with momentum.
“I’m just excited about our opportunity to go play and go finish the way we want to,” he said. “Especially on such a special day.”
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson offensive Coordinator Garrett Riley on balancing the run-pass
