Clemson’s offense has gone through its growing pains in its first season under offensive coordinator Chad Morris, but he believes that the characteristics of a great offense are there.
That starts with true freshman quarterback, Tait Reynolds, who although hasn’t hit the ground running throwing the ball, he still has been the starter in three of the Tigers’ wins this season, with two being in ACC play. However, Morris sees certain traits that could eventually make him one of the best in college football.
One of those characteristics? He doesn’t mind criticism.
“The thing I really love about what he is, he is a guy that you can coach hard and he doesn’t really—I mean, he responds, and he doesn’t get down on a bad play,” Morris said on Wednesday,“and that’s a trait that you look for in quarterbacks.”
The Tigers’ offensive coordinator even goes as far as saying Reynolds is focused on the next play perhaps a little too quickly. Although that’s helpful for a quarterback, taking away the mental jitters that come with the next play, Morris wants his signal caller to understand the mistake, and learn.
“Some guys get down after a bad play; he’s not that guy,” he said. “He’s quick to flush it. Matter of fact, I have to remind him sometimes of what he did.”
Clemson’s glaring issue from a statistical standpoint is centered around passing touchdowns and interceptions. Only one of those has come by the arm of Reynolds, with either rushing touchdowns or defensive/special team scores being the difference maker in the wins this season.
However, Morris reassures that his starter is getting better with each game, and Clemson is going to need that against a Virginia Tech team that has one of the best defensive lines in the sport.
“I think what you’re seeing with Tait each week has been a little better, and I totally agree,” he said. “I think that was his best game.”
“There was no doubt that I felt like this was definitely his best game, but again, you’re seeing that comes with being a young kid that’s what, in his fourth start?”
Morris mentioned a type of growth that many top quarterbacks are able to have that Reynolds has been developing more with each game: keeping the eyes down the field in the pocket. He did it against Miami, as well the recent win over Charleston Southern this past weekend.
The Tigers are going to need to rely on Reynolds a little bit more if they want to be successful in taking down the Hokies this weekend. After all, it could be a title eliminator for the ACC Championship to whatever team loses this weekend.
Morris will be trust a freshman to keep the team in the mix.
“You literally see the growth happening every day with him,” he said.
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