Why Jim Knowles' three games against Will Stein matters in Tennessee vs Kentucky

Kentucky football coach Will Stein said Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is “one of the elite defensive minds in college football,” and he should know.

When No. 16 Tennessee (6-2, 3-2 SEC) plays No. 7 Kentucky (7-1, 5-1) at Neyland Stadium on Nov. 7 (6:15 p.m. ET, ESPN), it will be the fourth head-to-head matchup between Stein and Knowles in the past three seasons.

Stein was Oregon’s offensive coordinator in 2024-25. Knowles was defensive coordinator at Ohio State in 2024 and at Penn State in 2025. They clashed three times at those schools in high-profile Big Ten games, but this will be their first SEC battle.

Knowles has a 1-2 record against Stein. Granted, they each coached only one side of the ball, so it’s unfair to pin the game results on their head-to-head matchups. And this meeting will be a little different because Stein gave up play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Joe Sloan, but it’s still Stein’s offense.

Here’s what we can learn from the past meetings between Knowles and Stein and why it’s relevant in this Kentucky-Tennessee game, which carries College Football Playoff ramifications.

Will Stein sees Jim Knowles as coaching chameleon

In 2024, Stein’s Oregon team won 32-31 over Knowles’ Ohio State team in a back-and-forth battle in the regular season. They met again in the 2024 College Football Playoff. A week after shutting down Tennessee, Knowles’ Ohio State defense dominated Oregon in a 41-21 win en route to a national title.

In 2025, Stein’s Oregon team won 30-24 in double overtime over Knowles’ Penn State team, but his defense played well in regulation.

Stein said he learned that Knowles is difficult to predict because he alters his defense at each school based on personnel.

“(Knowles) is as much like an offensive mind coaching defense. He is not the same every game. He’s not the same every year,” Stein said. “Who he has (is who) he builds his defense through.”

Stein has a similar reputation because his offense has leaned into the strengths of his Kentucky roster. However, both coaches are aware of the other’s tendencies heading into their fourth meeting.

Knowles defense has never forced a turnover against Stein

Despite playing well against Stein’s offense, Knowles’ defense did not force a turnover in any of their three head-to-head games. It didn’t pick off a pass or recover a fumble.

Stein’s UK offense has continued that disciplined play. The Wildcats have the SEC’s best turnover margin at plus-13, including 18 takeaways and only five giveaways. Quarterback Kenny Minchey has thrown 14 TD passes and only one interception.

That indicates that Knowles can have success despite not forcing turnovers. However, UT’s offense must also protect the ball to give Knowles’ defense a chance. In those three games against Stein, Knowles’ team committed an average of one turnover per game.

Knowles outcoached Stein after first loss, but his offense let him down

Stein had a strong outing in their first showdown, but Knowles bounced back in their second meeting.

In 2024, Knowles’ Ohio State defense allowed Stein’s offense to gain 496 yards and didn’t register a sack. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel passed for 341 yards, and speedy wide receiver Evan Stewart caught a couple of deep passes.

But Knowles changed his plan and got the better of Stein in the rematch less than three months later.

In the CFP quarterfinal, Ohio State held Oregon to 276 yards of total offense. The Ducks had minus-23 yards rushing and were sacked eight times. Stein’s offense traveled only 1 yard past midfield in the first half, as Knowles’ defense helped earn a 34-0 lead for Ohio State in the second quarter.

Knowles had similar results in 2025, when his Penn State defense held Oregon to three points in the first half and 17 points in regulation. Penn State lost because Knowles’ defense could no longer compensate for an ineffective Nittany Lion offense.

That imbalance could impact this game. Knowles’ UT defense leads the nation in sacks (35) and ranks 17th in fewest points allowed (16.3 ppg). But UT hasn’t scored more than 26 points in an SEC game, and it ranks last in the SEC in passing offense (181.5 ypg).

The Vols offense must do its part to help Knowles’ defense.

Tennessee can’t let Stein dig into his overtime playbook

In 2025, Knowles’ Penn State defense contained Stein’s Oregon offense through regulation. But it couldn’t hold in double overtime, losing 30-24 to the Ducks.

Stein called back-to-back touchdown plays, a shovel pass at the goal line and a 25-yard pass to start the second overtime. It was a back-breaking finish for Knowles’ defense, which held Oregon to only two touchdowns in regulation.

Now consider how Kentucky has thrived in overtime this season thanks to Stein’s aggressive approach.

Against South Carolina, UK scored a game-winning two-point conversion on a Minchey pass to wide-open tight end Willie Rodriguez. Against LSU, Minchey scored the game-winning two-point conversion on a well-designed quarterback draw.

Stein has a great track record in overtime, so UT can’t let Kentucky push the game past regulation.

Tennessee players, coaches have faced Stein’s offense before

Knowles’ experience in facing Stein matters most in this matchup. But players and assistant coaches who followed Knowles to Tennessee have faced it, as well.

In 2025, UT linebacker Amare Campbell had a career-high 15 tackles for Penn State against Oregon.

“I feel like that was my breakout game,” said Campbell, who leads UT with 52 tackles along with eight tackles-for-loss. “It was a top-10 matchup, and (the game) showed me that I could compete at a high level.”

UT defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam and safety Dejuan Lane also played for Penn State in that double overtime loss to Oregon.

“They are definitely (similar to Oregon’s offense). They are a very disciplined offense. They’re not going to make too many mistakes,” Gilliam said.

Secondary coach Anthony Poindexter faced Stein’s offense in 2024, when Oregon won 45-37, and the 2025 game under Knowles. Edge rushers coach Andrew Jackson was also on that 2025 Penn State staff.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Jim Knowles' three games against Will Stein matters in Tennessee vs Kentucky