By BJ Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com

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First and foremost, forward.

Saturday night’s offensive output was, needless to say, a really disappointing one for Clemson. The Tigers finished with the fewest points and the second-fewest total yards of the Dabo Swinney era. Clemson was overwhelmed at the line of scrimmage by Georgia and could not develop any positive momentum. For the game, the Tigers had just one drive of at least 40 yards compared to four drives that went one yard or in the wrong direction completely.

Where does the Clemson offense go from here?

First and foremost, forward. The Tigers won’t have any performance anywhere near what happened in week one and won’t face another defense like Georgia until potentially the College Football Playoff. And if Clemson makes it there, the offensive production will undoubtedly be better.

Look for the Tigers to establish the line of scrimmage in the games ahead with more of an emphasis on the ground game. Clemson running backs had just nine carries Saturday night. That, with a number of talented options in the backfield, will obviously change. When he isn’t scrambling right after getting the snap, D.J. Uiagalelei can be very effective as a downhill runner. A more consistent rushing attack will help the offensive front settle into form. So much starts there. And there is still so much to be excited about. Uiagalelei is very much a star.

Even counting the seven sacks by Georgia and the runs where Uiagalelei was escaping sacks, the Tigers still only had 23 rushing “attempts”. The last time they had fewer team rushes was in their last game, a 49-28 loss to Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl. The last time they had that few attempts before that College Football Playoff defeat was a 16-10 loss to Boston College back in 2010.

In fact, when Clemson has 30 or fewer rushing attempts in the Swinney era, the Tigers are now just 5-18.

Clemson clearly remains one of the best and most talented teams in the country. This team will, without question, regain its stride. Prior to Saturday night, the Tigers had scored at least three touchdowns in 42 consecutive games. That standard will continue. Fresh off back-to-back losses, though, albeit to two highly-ranked teams, expect the Clemson offense to return to winning at the line scrimmage and return to form.