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Given that Utah is giving out "Sack Lake City" T-shirts at this Friday's Ute walk to the first 100 fans, it probably isn't good for marketing that the Utes had none in their season opener.
"That was rough," said Hunter Dimick, shaking his head. "Whether teams are game-planning against us to get it out quicker, I don't know. But we've been working a lot harder this week because of that."
Harder because of what they did — or didn't do — against Michigan, and harder because the quarterback they face this week has had his share of slippery performances against Utah in the past.
This is the week Sack Lake City faces Chuckie Keeton, the Utah State quarterback who put up 314 passing yards and 85 rushing yards against the Utes in 2013, including a spinning, juking run with one shoe etched in the memory of the defenders who tried to bring him down.
"He went out to the right, if I remember correctly," said Dimick, a junior defensive lineman. "I tried catching him. Didn't end up working out."
Utah did win that game, 30-26, but overall Keeton is 1-1 against the Utes. He's had back-to-back season-ending injuries that have led some to wonder if he's the same quarterback, especially after a less-than-stunning debut against Southern Utah. He gained 7 yards on the ground and 110 through the air as the Aggie offense struggled in the season opener.
The Utes' defense has watched that footage, but they've also made time for the previous Aggie games against Utah. And they're preparing for the quarterback that dazzled in 2012 and 2013.
"Chuckie Keeton is very, very scary," linebackers coach Justin Ena said. "We watched the last two times we played him, and he's phenomenal. He's a playmaker."
If Utah's defense wants a strong performance for Keeton's final visit to Rice-Eccles, they'll need a few sacks. Then again, Ena said, sacks aren't always the most critical factor for a defensive line.
If that sounds like blasphemy, consider that scouting site Pro Football Focus graded three of Utah's defensive linemen — Dimick, Lowell Lotulelei and Seni Fauonuku — as the game's top performers against Michigan. Michigan gained only 76 rushing yards and Ena said the pressure, while inconsistent, helped play into the game-changing turnovers.
"We love sacks, we're trying to get sacks," he said. "But at the same time, we pressured that quarterback to throw bad balls and get interceptions and [pass breakups] for our defensive backs."
Still, there's something rewarding about dragging a quarterback to the ground, something that reinforces that the defense will have its way that night. Kyle Whittingham sees it as a character trait of the defense, and he wants more sacks this week.
"That's an area of focus," he said. "Based on what we've done the last few years, we expect more in the pass rush area than what we got Thursday night."
USU coach Matt Wells takes the threat of the front seven seriously, especially since the Aggies had trouble syncing up its passing game last week. They'll again be without starting lineman Tyshon Mosely and starting wideout Hunter Sharp thanks to suspensions, and they'll face what Wells called "the best Utah team since I've been here."
Dimick sees the game playing out competitively. Utah State will be more fired up, he said, and so will the Utes. The game will be faster paced and emotional.
At the end of it, he's hoping for sacks. How many, exactly?
"As long as we're not sack-less," he said with a chuckle, "we'll be happy."
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Utah's top returning sackers
The Utes went 0-fer in sacks last week against Michigan, atypical for the team that led the nation in sacks last year.
• Hunter Dimick, 10 sacks
• Pita Taumoepenu, 5.5 sacks
• Jason Fanaika, 5 sacks
• Lowell Lotulelei, 4 sacks
• Jared Norris, 4 sacks