How Penn State Plans to Deploy Jim Knowles' Defense Vs. Oregon

Knowles faced Oregon twice during the 2024 season as Ohio State's defensive coordinator. He brings a key perspective to Penn State.

Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles talks with reporters during football media day in Beaver Stadium. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

STATE COLLEGE | Penn State coach James Franklin didn’t mince words Monday regarding his defense’s performance in the 2024 Big Ten Championship Game: “We didn’t have enough tools in our toolbelt,” Franklin said.

The Nittany Lions allowed season-highs in points (45) and yards (469) in a loss to Oregon that frustrated the defense. So now, with No. 3 Penn State set to host No. 6 Oregon on Saturday, why should Nittany Lions fans trust a different outcome?

The answer is simple: Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is at the helm this year.

"He's an experienced defensive coordinator,” Franklin said at his weekly press conference. “There's a lot going on up there [in his head], and I think each week goes on where he's got a better idea of who we are. I think that's a big part in all this as well. Andy Kotelnicki went through last year: ‘What are the strengths of our people? What are the challenges or some weaknesses in our guys at this point in the season? And how do you call a game to play to those strengths and maybe limit some of those deficiencies or matchup issues?’”

RELATED: What James Franklin said before the Penn State-Oregon game

Knowles gets another shot at Oregon

Penn State Nittany Lions defensive coordinator Jim Knowles walks on the field prior to the Blue-White spring game at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State ran into a key issue against Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game, during which Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel threw for 283 yards and four touchdowns. Franklin said that former defensive coordinator Tom Allen ran primarily man coverages last season, which the Ducks manipulated through matchup advantages.

When the Nittany Lions weren’t able to get home with their pass rush, Oregon capitalized with plenty of man-coverage beaters. Receiver Tez Johnson did much of the work, catching 11 passes for 181 yards. But Franklin expects this game to be different, as Knowles runs multiple schemes.

“Being able to play man is definitely one of our weapons, but also being able to have zones and zone pressures and a lot of those different things that we're now doing more of, I think, is valuable,” Franklin said.

Franklin added that Knowles has done a “really good job” with challenging offenses using man coverage, but then situationally, on downs such as 3rd-and-medium, of playing softer. Although Franklin said there are times the team plays too soft in their zones.

Regardless, Knowles will be a key in Saturday’s matchup against Oregon. The former Ohio State coordinator faced the Ducks twice last season, and in the College Football Playoff, held Oregon to just eight first-half points in a 41-21 Buckeyes victory in the Rose Bowl.

RELATED: Jim Knowles evaluates himself as Penn State's defensive coordinator

James Franklin talks about last year’s Big Ten Championship game in terms of the defense.

“We didn’t have enough tools in our tool belt.” pic.twitter.com/623OjLGlCl

— Chase Fisher (@chase_fisher4) September 22, 2025

Franklin is confident in his defense

Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Yvan Kemajou (99) and linebacker Dom DeLuca (0) attempt to make a tackle vs. the Villanova Wildcats. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Outside of Knowles, Franklin said he has noticed an uptick in confidence during the season as players have grown more comfortable in Knowles’ system. One of those players adjusting is standout safety Zakee Wheatley, who is known as a ballhawk but has no interceptions, one pass breakup and one pass deflection on the season. Franklin said learning the scheme and tweaks to it has taken him some time, but he’s expecting a turnaround from the redshirt senior as soon as this week.

“I just think we're in a much different place in terms of the confidence and the execution that it takes to play in these types of games,” Franklin said. “Each week that we're able to spend time kind of working through it in practice and in meetings, I think the faster we’ll get.

“I'll never forget, you know, when Manny [Diaz] came here, Manny [was] surprised with the amount of speed that we had on our defense. “And I think the more comfortable our guys get in playing some of the tweaks to the new defense, that speed will start to show up again on a more consistent basis.”

Franklin said that one of the most important things he’s learned about his defense is the level of communication with the safeties, linebackers and Knowles and how it’s improved. That communication will be tested Saturday in the White Out game, for which Penn State’s defense has been preparing with pumped-in crowd noise during practice.

“When you talk about defense, I think it's also just the level of communication that we have to have with our safeties and linebackers, and Jim getting used to them, and them getting used to Jim, and even the communication from the sideline or from the booth, and how we communicate and call the defense,” Franklin said. “We've gotten better at that each week.”

Penn State hosts Oregon for the annual White Out on Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC’s Big Ten Saturday Night.

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive coordinator Jim Knowles celebrates after winning against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the College Football Playoff title game. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images