Oregon State coach Gary Andersen set a lofty goal for the Beavers defense this season: 60 combined sacks and takeaways.
It’s a tough goal -- one that only 22 FBS schools were able to accomplish last season (Washington, Utah and Colorado were the only Pac-12 schools on that list) -- and one that seems tougher when considering that the Beavers totaled only 38 a season ago.
But that seemingly arbitrary number for the Beavers has its roots in the Utah football program and it was there, under current coach Kyle Whittingham’s father, Fred, that Andersen first heard that number set as the bar for which to strive.