When Tennessee hired Jim Knowles as its defensive coordinator, conventional wisdom held that the Volunteers would need to be patient. It typically takes Knowles' scheme a couple of years to really take effect. Over seven weeks, Tennessee's defense looks as if Knowles has been with the program for a decade.
In Saturday afternoon's 26-10 win, the Volunteers held No. 6 Alabama to 201 total yards. Keelon Russell threw for just 147 yards and committed three turnovers. The Crimson Tide went 2-for-12 on third down, and they converted just one of their three fourth-down attempts.
Tennessee's defensive front was disruptive early and often, and the secondary maintained tight coverage on the Alabama receivers with Ryan Coleman-Williams out of the lineup. That combination produced five sacks and 10 tackles for loss. Entering the day, the Volunteers were the 19th-ranked scoring defense nationally and ranked 25th in yards per game at 293.7, an improvement from 396.9 last year.
The underlying metrics were just as good, with the Vols at 21st in per play (-0.08). Tennessee was 105th in that category last fall at 0.12. It's a huge jump that has propelled the Volunteers forward against even the toughest opponents.
Not only has Knowles' impact on Tennessee been felt immediately, but the defense is a big reason why the Volunteers find themselves at 6-1 with eyes on the College Football Playoff. A shaky offensive line and mistakes from young quarterbacks have limited the Vols' typically explosive offense, but it's rarely mattered because of what Knowles has done on the other side of the ball. Thanks to impact transfers and assistant coaches who understand Knowles' defense, Tennessee has an elite unit it can lean on for the rest of the season.
Part of this immediate success must be attributed to the players and coaches who followed Knowles from Penn State in the offseason. Starting on the field, defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam, linebacker Amare Campbell and safety Dejuan Lane have given the Vols impact players at every level of the defense. They all played a key role in the Vols' victory over Alabama.
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