Will Penn State's Defense Be Ready in Time for Oregon?

The Nittany Lions had three non-conference games and a bye week to install Jim Knowles' defense. The Ducks will provide the first real test.

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin watches the replay of the final play against the Villanova Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

One of the most interesting aspects of high-profile games early in the season is the collision of two teams trying to beat a quality opponent while still establishing their identities. By November, teams are more confident in who they are, what they want to do and how to do it. The mystery is less present. But now? There’s still plenty of tinkering and learning going on. It’s a race to knock off the rust faster than the other guy.

Which makes Saturday’s clash against Oregon an interesting exercise for Penn State. Have the third-ranked Nittany Lions done enough to establish who they are, what they want to do and how to do it?

On offense, the urgency for Penn State is more a question of cohesion than scheme. Drew Allar, Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen have the tools and experience, so the blueprint is largely there. If nothing else, offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki knows what he’s working with.

The challenge offensively on Saturday is *simply* whether Allar can gel well enough with his new crop of receivers and tight ends to make the big plays that have been historically lacking in spots like these. If he can do that, and his tandem of backs can break quality runs, the Nittany Lions should/could win.

Defensively, the story is different. To be sure, Penn State’s defense has generally looked the part against lesser teams so far this season, allowing just 17 points in three games. At the same time, the introduction of Jim Knowles’ defense adds complexity and an obligatory learning curve different from what the offense faces. Even at Ohio State, Knowles’ scheme took some time for the Buckeyes to fully grasp, which occasionally was seen as a detriment to his tenure in Columbus.

Against worse teams, that might not matter for Penn State. Against Oregon, the margin between stopping the Ducks and allowing 45 points again might come down to the difference between having to think as a defender and simply reacting. A split second longer or shorter between the ears can make all the difference against a team that likes to move quickly.

To track the process, let’s look at the big picture according to James Franklin.

RELATED: A familiar question returns for Penn State: Is the Oregon game a "must-win"?

Penn State Nittany Lions defensive coordinator Jim Knowles looks on from the sideline during the third quarter of the Blue-White spring game at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

What James Franklin said on Aug. 25

• “I guess to your point specifically about the defense, in year one, that's been the focus and the challenge: How do we streamline this process as much as we possibly can?”

• “We put a ton on their plate, see how they handle it, and go into each week saying, ‘OK, these are the things we need to emphasize and focus on to put our defense and team in the best position to be successful.’”

This is run-of-the-mill preseason press-conference banter. The summer was about getting everyone together, emptying the toolbox and showing everyone what you’re working with. Then you start honing your craft. All the same, this process is different under a new coordinator rather than simply onboarding new players to an old approach.

We move ahead.

What James Franklin said on Sept. 8

Penn State defensive tackle Zane Durant (28) tackles Nevada running back Herschel Turner (2). | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

• “I still think our defense is thinking and not playing as fast as maybe we have in the past, and that's what's going to be important this week and then obviously moving forward as well, just getting these guys playing fast and confident in some of the tweaks of the new system.”

If there was ever an argument for not scheduling big non-conference games when you don’t have to, this is it. Getting better takes time. Sure, some teams are ready to go out of the box, but Penn State isn’t in a situation where it can simply pick up where it left off. Maybe the floor is high, but for as good as this group might be, it’ll be even better in November than it is in early September.

Onward we go.

What James Franklin said on Sept. 22

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin looks on from the sideline during the third quarter against the FIU Panthers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

• “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 the communication from the sideline or from the booth in how we communicate and call the defense; we have gotten better at that each week.”

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

• “I'll never forget when Manny [Diaz] came here. Manny was surprised with the amount of speed that we had on our defense. 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.”

This is where we leave things ahead of Saturday. Penn State is getting better and better with its defensive comprehension. But the lingering question is this: Is the communication where it needs to be? Consistency wins games. It only takes a few plays.

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin watches the replay of the final play of the game against the Villanova Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Three more quotes to consider

• “He's an experienced defensive coordinator,” Franklin said of Knowles. “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?’”

And from Knowles himself during the bye week:

• “I really evaluate myself with what I see on the field, and what I’ve been seeing are guys in the right places. And that’s my job: to make sure I put them in the right places. They have to make the plays. But I’m seeing so far that they’re learning, picking things up, getting to the right spots. So that’s how I evaluate myself.”

• “Our areas of improvement really need to come in third and fourth down. I don’t think we’ve done well enough in those areas, and those become extremely important in close ballgames. So there’s a real push for that during this bye week.”

The verdict on Penn State's defense

Penn State linebacker Amare Campbell (24) dives for a tackle against FIU Panthers running back Anthony Carrie (6). | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

So is Penn State’s defense where it needs to be to slow down Oregon on Saturday? Time will tell. The Nittany Lions look and sound like a team getting into the swing of things just in time, but in a game that could be decided by a few plays, the bar is set high.

Welcome to early season marquee games, where it’s as much about you against yourself as anything else.