Penn State might be in the middle of a bye week, but defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is far from idle.
His fertile mind is busy evaluating what he’s seen in the Nittany Lions’ first three games and preparing for a much-anticipated Big Ten opener against Oregon next week.
“You truly don’t know (what the defensive players can or can’t do) until you face the top-level competition,” Knowles said Wednesday during an interview with Penn State beat reporters. “You keep trying to put them in different situations. It’s an ongoing process.
“Seeing them each week and then against better competition helps me figure it out.”
Knowles and the Lions expect to learn much more about themselves against the Ducks in the annual White Out Game Sept. 27 at Beaver Stadium.
In his first season in Happy Valley, Penn State’s defense ranks third in points allowed (5.7 per game), fourth in tackles for loss (9.7), fifth in turnovers gained (7) and 10th in pass efficiency defense.
Knowles, though, quickly pointed out that the Lions have struggled on third and fourth downs.
“I don’t think we’ve done well enough in those areas,” he said. “Those become extremely important in close ballgames, so there’s a real push for that during this bye week. The rest of it, though, is on track so far.”
He was asked why Penn State wasn’t dominant on those two downs.
“Play tighter coverage,” Knowles said. “Match up tighter in the zones. It’s just been little things here and there. Backs falling forward in short-yardage situations instead of us knocking them back. It’s nothing major.
“It’s just an overall attitude, pressing them to know how important it is and cleaning some things up.”
Dan Connor was a two-time All-American at Penn State. He has worked with Knowles since January as linebackers coach and worked with Manny Diaz and Tom Allen, Penn State’s two previous defensive coordinators.
He was impressed with Knowles during spring practice and preseason camp. Now, after three games, he has an even deeper appreciation.
“He can just pull different levers on the defense to different coverages and different tweaks as the game goes on,” Connor said. “He’s done a great job of building a defensive game plan that can cover all the bases and have answers to any problems.
“On game day, he’s decisive and quick with communication to the coaches and to the players. It’s impressive to watch.”
King Mack played high school football for South Florida powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas. He began his career at Penn State in 2023, transferred to Alabama for one season and returned. He made his first start for the Lions last week at safety against Villanova.
“Jim Knowles is very, very smart,” Mack said. “He’s teaching us an NFL defense. He always tells us that whatever we’re doing now, we’re going to have to do at the next level. He’s preparing us mentally and physically.
“His defense is very schematic. He wants us to be able to communicate. You have to know your job. I love the defense.”
Penn State lured Knowles from Ohio State and made him the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the country for games against Oregon and the Buckeyes, not Nevada and Florida International.
Last year, the Ducks rolled up 496 total yards against Ohio State and Knowles in a 32-31 win in October. Three months later, the Buckeyes turned the tables and held Oregon to a season-low 276 yards in a 41-21 blowout in the Rose Bowl on their way to the national title.
“They’re a really good offense,” Knowles said. “They challenge you formationally with all the different things they do. We just have to make sure we have guys in the right places.
“A lot of times against these teams that do so much and that are talented, if you’re not in the right place you don’t have a chance. So my job is to get them in the right place.”
He understands that he won’t be fully judged until Penn State takes on the best teams on its schedule, starting with Oregon.
“So far they’re learning, picking things up and getting to the right spots,” Knowles said. “It’s ongoing because there’s an exam every week, except this week.
“Otherwise it’s all about how you perform in that next game. That’s really how I evaluate myself.”
