Defense wins championships, or at least, that’s what they say. If you watched the Tigers square off against SMU, it was clear that Clemson’s defense couldn’t stop a nosebleed, much less win a championship.
What went wrong? How did a once fearsome Clemson defense lose its roar?
The answer to that question lies on the opposite side of the ball; Clemson’s poor defensive performances stem from offensive ineptitude.
In simpler terms, the defense is exhausted because the offense isn’t doing anything.
Through seven games in 2025, Clemson has been unable to sustain possessions. Garrett Riley’s offense frequently punts after the first set of downs, known as a three-and-out. The defense hardly gets a rest on the sideline, leading to more defensive breakdowns later in games.
This effect is evident in multiple games from the previous two seasons.
2025 Clemson vs. SMU
Under backup quarterback Christopher Vizzina, the Tigers struggled to put together meticulous offensive drives.
After punting twice, SMU scored a 70-yard touchdown in just one play. The Clemson offense responded with not one, but two three-and-outs. The Tigers had just two first downs after the first five offensive series.
Clemson would then score its first touchdown only after falling behind 10-0. Even then, it was a shot-play scoring drive that lasted just six plays.
After another SMU field goal, Clemson turned the ball over on downs on its own 39-yard line, giving the Mustangs a short field to work with. The defense forced yet another field goal.
With one more opportunity before halftime, down 16-7, the Clemson offense did what it does best: go three-and-out. They would do the same on the subsequent possession after halftime.
Though the Tigers scored a touchdown and strung together a 17-play scoring drive afterward, SMU pulled away and put the game on ice.
2025 Clemson vs. LSU
There was a buzz in the air before the season opener in Death Valley.
Last year’s high-flying offense almost completely returned, and Tom Allen’s defense debuted in front of a sold-out home crowd.
Only the latter bothered to show up. The Tigers mustered just 10 measly points all game.
Clemson forced a fumble and returned it to the LSU 24-yard line. Not only would the offense fail to convert a first down, but also neglected to gain a yard and settled for a field goal.
The Tigers rallied behind their defense’s two forced fumbles in the first half to a 10-3 halftime lead.
In the second half, the offense missed a field goal, threw an interception, went three-and-out twice and turned the ball over on downs twice.
LSU’s two second-half touchdowns were enough to win the game.
2024 Clemson vs. South Carolina
Many Clemson fans likely remember 2024’s Palmetto Bowl matchup with a cringe as the game where South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers had his way with the Tiger defense in Death Valley.
Sellers threw for 164 yards while rushing for another 166 yards and two touchdowns in the rivalry game. He looked impossible to tackle in the open field, and the Gamecocks seemed unstoppable.
Yet, No. 15 South Carolina scored just 17 points. Clemson picked off Sellers once, forced a fumble, multiple three-and-outs and five punts.
On the other hand, the offense scored only two touchdowns against many punts.
The most critical of offensive bungling was the fourth-and-goal attempt from the 1-yard line on the Tigers’ second possession of the game.
The stout South Carolina front stuffed an attempted run up the middle; instead of settling for a field goal, Clemson settled for nothing.
In retrospect, those three points were the difference in a brutal loss.
2024 Clemson vs. Texas
The Tigers rallied to make the playoffs, only to be blown out by the semifinalist Longhorns in the first round.
Much like the South Carolina game, this game is remembered as one where the defense let the offense down. This sentiment was more than a colloquial belief, as it catalyzed the firing of former defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin.
Goodwin’s defensive unit didn’t have a good performance, but a mostly inactive offense did not help.
After a strong 12-play touchdown drive to start the game, Clemson would gain just one first down over the next four drives, punting three times and throwing an interception.
Texas would score a touchdown on each of its first three drives.
Down 21-7 with its back against the wall, the Tiger defense eventually came to life. Clemson forced a turnover on downs and picked off Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers on back-to-back drives.
The offense could only score a field goal in the two drives gifted to them, taking up just one minute and 57 seconds in total game minutes during that span. This forced a tired defense back onto the field with over a minute and a half before halftime, and Texas scored a touchdown.
Clemson outscored Texas 14-10 in the second half, but squandered critical fourth downs.
Once again, with a comeback attempt on the line, the Tigers attempted a run up the middle from the 1-yard line. Much like two games prior against South Carolina, it did not work.
Through this critical lens of recent back-breaking losses, Clemson clearly does not currently have a defensive problem; instead, the team has an offensive time of possession issue.
