On Thin Ice: Riley Hopes Second Self-Scout Leads to Clemson's Offensive Success

Garrett Riley didn’t spend Clemson’s second open week catching his breath. He spent it looking in the mirror.

As the Tigers prepare to host Duke on Saturday, Clemson’s offensive coordinator was candid Tuesday about his self-evaluation process — an honest look at where the Tigers’ offense stands and where he, as a play caller, must improve.

“We kind of do your self-scouting during that open day, and you sit down and go, okay, here’s what we have to get better at as an offense. Here’s what I have to get better at as a play caller. Since we’ve had two bye weeks now, you’re really cross-referencing the self-scouts from both of those time periods, comparing what we did during each of the bye weeks. That’s been great for us.”

It’s an accountable tone from Riley, who has faced his share of scrutiny during Clemson’s uneven offensive stretches this season. While the Tigers have shown flashes, the larger story is the struggle with consistency, particularly in the run game and early drives.

“Coming out of the first bye week, I thought we improved in some areas that we needed to on offense during those three weeks. But obviously, the biggest thing is running efficiently and effectively. We did that in spurts in that three-game stretch. Against Boston College, we had a really good day and were efficient running the football. We’ve just got to manufacture and compound that as we move forward.”

The process wasn’t just about identifying weaknesses — it was about doubling down on strengths.

“A lot of it was just trying to cross-reference from the two bye weeks, looking for tendencies, but also figuring out what we need to get better at or what we’re doing well, and then how to manufacture more of that. I think that’s one of the big takeaways for coaches — trying to manufacture more of what we’re already doing well. That was probably the most beneficial thing for us.”

Clemson averaged nearly 452 yards per game and 34.7 points per contest during the 2024 season, a reminder that the offensive ceiling under Riley remains high. But through the first half of 2025, the production has come in spurts rather than stretches. For Riley, that starts up front.

“It’s hard to run the football when the offensive line isn’t playing well. We’ve got to be consistent. We’ve had flashes where we’ve been pretty good up there and solid. We’ve got to be more consistent. It’s just continuing to grind and making sure the front — the offensive line, tight ends, backs, everybody — understands that if we want to be successful, we have to get this done. I think they can certainly feel that from us.”

Riley didn’t shy away from frustration over Clemson’s sluggish start against SMU — a game the Tigers had to claw back into after stalling early.

“Looking at the SMU tape and the slow start on offense, it was frustrating. We kind of had to weather our own storm early in that game. With CV  [Christopher Vizzina] in there, you look at it and think he didn’t play very good early, but a lot of it was things around him, to be quite honest. Once we weathered our own storm, we got going, got back in the game, and created some momentum for our team. That was frustrating because a lot of it was self-inflicted, and we have to be better.”

Riley said some of those issues stemmed from missed short-yardage conversions and a costly protection bust that swung early momentum.

“We had a couple of short-yardage situations we needed to convert just running the football, and we didn’t execute,” he noted. “That kills your offensive momentum early in a game.”

Riley said he admired how Vizzina responded to that adversity in his first full start.

“CV did a good job hanging in there and bouncing back, ultimately giving us a chance to win. He was pretty hard on himself afterward. Quarterbacks are always going to be their own hardest critic — that’s the nature of the position.”

Even Cade Klubnik, sidelined that week, gained perspective, Riley said.

“I think a game on the sideline probably did Cade some good, too. Anytime you have an injured player — whether it’s Cade, Antonio [Williams] two years ago, or Tyler Brown last year — it gives you perspective. You have to find value in everything, even when you’re injured or things are going bad. You have to find a way as a competitor to take value from it. Cade did.”

Accountability isn’t new to Riley — but it’s evolved. After the highs and lows of his tenure at Clemson, capped by last year’s ACC title and College Football Playoff berth, his tone this past week reflected a deeper awareness. His words carry the weight of a coach who’s both self-critical and self-assured, but he has to know he’s on thin ice.

It’s that mindset — open, reflective, demanding — that he hopes will anchor Clemson’s offense as it enters the final month of the regular season and turn the momentum back in his favor with fans.

“It’s about finding what we do well offensively and putting our guys in position to execute that early. From a player standpoint, it’s about execution — going out and doing what we do in practice with the same attitude and mindset in the stadium.”

That mindset starts at the top for Riley. If he continues to lead with the same level of accountability he’s preaching, his second self-scout may prove even more valuable than the first — and that might be the only way he’s back on the sidelines in Tiger Town next year.