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.

“I was a young defensive coach and it was something that really stuck with me,” Andersen said. “When I first started coaching, I probably didn’t even really think about it. I was new to defense and I was like, ‘OK, that’s what you’re supposed to do -- 30 sacks and 30 turnovers.’ I didn’t realize it was probably that much of a lofty goal at that point.”

But the further Andersen -- who had played on the offense side of the ball -- got in his defensive coaching, the more and more he realized how rare it was to hit that number that the elder Whittingham had established.

Over the past five seasons, 24 teams on average -- just 19 percent of FBS teams -- have reached that threshold in every season.

It’s kind of a rectangle-square formula in that not all great defenses hit that mark, but hitting that mark (probably) means you’re a great defense.

Washington has hit 60 every year since Chris Petersen has taken over. Alabama has hit the mark three of the past five seasons. Ohio State coach Urban Meyer -- who’s familiar with the Whittingham family -- has hit 60 twice during his time with the Buckeyes (but he has come within striking distance of the 60 mark the other three seasons, too).

In Andersen’s 20-year coaching career, only five times has one of his teams hit the “60” mark. Most recently, it came in 2012 with Utah State when the Aggies tallied 62. Since then, the closest one of his teams has come was in 2014 when Wisconsin got to 54 with 37 sacks and 17 turnovers. But the marks in Corvallis have been substantially lower. During his first year, the Beavers accounted for only 29 -- 17 sacks and 12 turnovers. Last season that number improved by eight, but the Beavs were still a little further than just halfway to the 60 mark.

“I know it’s an extremely difficult, difficult number,” Andersen said. “Did we reach it every year? Absolutely not. In fact, very seldom did we reach that goal. It’s a very lofty goal, but I definitely think it’s a goal that you talk about. And you will be a very good defense if you can reach that goal.”

The first step in Oregon State getting closer to hitting 60 and being one of those elite defenses, according to Andersen, is becoming more aggressive. That doesn’t necessarily mean that Andersen will make sure his defensive coaches get more aggressive with playcalling (read: blitzing), but he wants to see marked improvement in terms of tackles for a loss and quarterback pressures.

If they can do that, the Beavers will be on track to being a team that can hit that “60” mark with regularity.

“It’s a very, very difficult goal to reach -- there’s no question about it,” Andersen said. “But I think it’s one that you’ve got to put your kids in position to aim high.”