Clemson's Dabo Swinney takes blame for offense but keeps Chad Morris as Tigers fall to 4-3

Dabo Swinney is blaming his coaching staff for Clemson's 4-3 start, but he is not changing it. On his Sunday teleconference after Saturday's 20-16 home loss to Virginia Tech, Swinney said his roster is good enough to win and the coaches have not done their part. He also confirmed that offensive coordinator Chad Morris will finish the 2026 season in the job.

"It's on us as coaches. I've got to be better," Swinney said, as reported by EssentiallySports. He added that he thinks the Tigers should be 5-2. Asked whether he was confident Morris would stay in charge, he said he was. Swinney also rejected the idea of a midseason staff adjustment like the one he made in 2025, saying this season's situation was different.

The numbers explain why fans want a change. The Greenville News reported that Clemson has thrown just two touchdown passes all season, fewer than any other team in the country. The last one came Sept. 19 against North Carolina. The Tigers rank last in the ACC in total offense at 331.1 yards per game and in passing offense at 182.6. Against Virginia Tech, freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds completed 20 of 26 passes for only 153 yards. Swinney told the paper the breakdowns rotate from unit to unit: one play the line blocks it right and the back misses his track, the next the throw is on target and the receiver drops it. He said Morris's task is to turn field goals into touchdowns, and he joked that kicker Nolan Hauser was carrying the offense.

Hauser made all three of his kicks Saturday, including a 49-yarder, but it was not enough. According to Virginia Tech On SI, Clemson had been 154-7 since 2011 in games it led after three quarters. James Franklin went for it on fourth-and-1 inside the Clemson 5 instead of kicking a tying field goal, and the Hokies scored to win. It was Virginia Tech's first win over Clemson since 2007, and it made the Hokies bowl-eligible at 6-2.

What it means at Florida State

Keeping the same staff means the same offense goes to Tallahassee on Saturday, Oct. 31 (ACC Network). Clemson has scored 150 points and allowed 149 through seven games, an average of 21.4 points per game. The pattern is consistent. The Tigers beat Georgia Southern, North Carolina, California and Charleston Southern. Against the three best teams they have faced, they scored 10 at LSU, 13 against Miami and 16 against Virginia Tech. The Clemson team page has the full season line.

The market expects that pattern to hold. Florida State is favored on the board for this game. Novig has the Seminoles at -203 on the moneyline and Clemson at +186. Polymarket has the best Clemson price anywhere at +188. On the spread, Novig lists Florida State -6.5 at -104, while Hard Rock Bet has the Seminoles at -5.5 for -110. The total is 49.5 at most venues, and BetRivers is at 50.5. Twelve venues are quoting the game, and sportsbook hold runs from 3.8% to 6.5% on the moneyline. The prices are close across venues, and all of them treat Clemson as a clear underdog.

For Virginia Tech, which is on a bye after the win, the next game is Friday, Nov. 6, at No. 19 SMU on ESPN. More on the Hokies is on the Virginia Tech team page.