It's been no secret for some time now that this offense is a work in progress as it grows guys up at all position groups.

If the opener against Georgia severely undercut the notion that the offense was ready for primetime, then two touchdowns last week against Georgia Tech demolished the idea.

So everyone went into this game at N.C. State knowing full well that it's about baby steps for this offense.

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But Saturday told us those steps are going backward.

There's simply no other conclusion after it takes overtime for a group to crack 20 points and 200 yards of offense.

Clemson's two touchdown drives in regulation consumed 160 yards and just 12 plays.

Otherwise, the Tigers totaled 49 yards on 28 plays before overtime.

Incredible.

But still not shocking. Or at least it shouldn't be for anyone who's watched this offense dating back to the first scrimmage of August camp when it looked -- well, about how it's looked in three games against FBS competition while totaling 31 points in regulation.

Thirty-one points in 12 quarters of football.

And to think we were all wondering what was wrong with the offense last year in the Sugar Bowl when they put up 28 against Ohio State.

What's unfolded so far in 2021 has shown us nothing should be taken for granted.

Not competent offense.

Not conference titles.

Certainly not trips to the College Football Playoff.

We can also add healthy players to that after Clemson's list of wounded figureheads reached almost sadistic lengths.

It was big when Tyler Davis suffered a torn bicep last week, putting him on the shelf for two months.

Saturday, three more important players suffered potentially major injuries: Will Shipley, James Skalski and Bryan Bresee.

Shipley had to be helped to the locker room after DJ Uiagalelei crashed into his left leg late in the game, causing a knee injury.

Skalski had been dealing with a shoulder injury and couldn't go any longer after dinging it in the first quarter.

Bresee had also been playing through a shoulder injury, but now came a knee injury that knocked him out of the game.

It does seem like everything that can go against this team is going against it, but that wasn't totally accurate Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium. The Tigers did benefit from three missed field goals by Christopher Dunn, including one from 39 yards that would've won the game in regulation.

For some brief moments, Clemson fans could think back to that missed chip shot by State in 2016 that led to overtime and a skin-of-the-teeth win on the way to a national championship.

For a few moments, you could look at the "not again" expressions of panic on the red-clad faithful and rejoice in the belief that Clemson might be down, but it still has exclusive ownership of the psyches of Dave Doeren and Wolfpack fans.

But that sensation couldn't have lasted more than a few seconds, because then you realized that staying in this game and winning it was still up to the offense.

It couldn't reasonably be up to the Tigers' defense, which was on the field for a ridiculous 96 plays as N.C. State smartly chewed up clock and took advantage of an offense that had seven straight three-and-outs after going 80 yards for a touchdown on the second possession.

The defense was on the field so much in the first half that the Tigers looked gassed by halftime and yet just kept coming.

Clemson had 40 plays entering overtime and finished with 49. Justyn Ross dropped a touchdown pass on first down in the second overtime, and then on fourth down he couldn't get his hands up for an accurate throw to the same corner of the end zone.

In the end, both offenses struggled but N.C. State's was more resourceful and schemed up the right plays at the right times -- including the 22-yard touchdown pass from Devin Leary to Devin Carter that produced the final six-point spread.

Since losing at Syracuse in 2017, Clemson had won 17 consecutive games against teams from the ACC Atlantic Division with an average margin of victory of 32 points.

Now it seems almost outrageous to think they can just score 32 points in a game.

The Tigers also saw the end of their 36-game winning streak over unranked teams, and their first September with two losses since 2014.

Add in that loss to Ohio State, and the Tigers have lost three of their last four games against FBS competition.

Yes, the firsts are coming in a hurry this season and almost none of them good.

"We've got a lot of guys in that locker room that haven't lost a true road game," Dabo Swinney said.

Twenty-one months ago, Clemson won its 29th consecutive game when it held off Ohio State and advanced to the national title game.

Now the Tigers are 2-2, dead even with an offense that looked dead in the water for so long Saturday.

Swinney: "It's my job to get us better."

It can't get much worse.

Or can it?

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