Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is no stranger to Oregon. Last season, while leading Ohio State’s defense, he saw both sides of the coin against the Ducks.
Oregon piled up 496 yards in a 32-31 win before the Buckeyes flipped the script three months later, shutting down the Ducks for a 41-21 College Football Playoff victory.
Now, Knowles takes on the challenge from a new perch in Happy Valley, carrying a three-year deal worth more than $9 million that makes him the highest-paid defensive coordinator in college football history.
His $3.1 million annual average is believed to be the first base salary for any coordinator to surpass the $3 million mark. On Saturday night at Beaver Stadium, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning expects to see a defense that is “as multiple and disruptive as anybody we’ll play.”
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Knowles’ arrival has already changed Penn State’s identity. Through three games, the Nittany Lions have surrendered just 17 points, with 14 of those coming in the final seconds of two contests.
Their first-team unit has yet to allow a touchdown. Lanning, who owns a 39-6 record in his fourth season with Oregon, noted the parallels between what he sees on film from Penn State and what Knowles deployed at Ohio State.
“I’ve seen a lot of scheme variation, which he had at Ohio State,” Lanning said. “He always has a new wrinkle.”
Oregon remembers all too well how the Lions gashed them in last year’s Big Ten championship. Penn State racked up 518 yards, including 292 on the ground, averaging 8.3 yards per carry.
Kaytron Allen ran for 124 yards, Nick Singleton added 105, and the Ducks’ run defense faltered.
“That was not a game that we played to the standard when it came to our rushing defense,” Lanning admitted.
Quarterback Drew Allar enters this matchup with 626 passing yards, four touchdowns, and one interception through three games. Against Oregon last season, he threw three touchdowns and two picks while also rushing for a score.
Saturday will mark the first regular-season meeting between these programs since 1964, setting the stage for a prime-time showdown with a high-profile coordinator at the center.