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It's the game J.J. Dielman will tell his grandchildren about: On the night when his Utes team eked out a win over USC, he went against likely first-round NFL Draft pick Leonard Williams. And Dielman held Williams in check on the game-winning drive.

But ask him about the USC game this week. Go ahead, ask him about going against one of the best defensive linemen in the country.

"He's a pretty good player," Dielman said. "So yeah."

Pressing doesn't help.

"We've got an issue this week, man," he said in his soft-spoken baritone. "They're ranked pretty good. I don't know if you guys know that."

Ahead. Always focused squarely ahead.

On the field, Dielman worries about the guy in front of him, the next block he has to make. Off the field, he worries only about the next opponent, this week No. 15 Arizona State. The sophomore knows as well as anyone how tough the Sun Devils, the ninth-ranked team in tackles for a loss, can be: His high school was a short Saturday drive from Tempe. He played in a state championship game against defensive tackle Jaxon Hood, who is a key cog in the ASU scheme.

But Dielman also can focus because he's not worried about the guy to his left: guard Isaac Asiata. The two began the season competing for a starting job, but ended up side by side.

Before the season, the right side of the line was seen as one of Utah's biggest concerns. But midway through their 2014 campaign, Asiata and Dielman have helped form what they like to call the "Right-side Die-side."

"The Right-side Die-side, it's not just a right-side thing, it's a whole offensive-line mentality," Dielman said. "We're just a bunch of nasty guys. And I think we're kind of living up to the hype a little bit."

On the surface, there's not much in common: The 316-pound Asiata's personality is a lot like the bright pink streak in his shoulder-length black hair: The sophomore stands out in a crowd. The Spanish Fork native is outspoken and is probably the go-to lineman for cracking wise.

Then there's Dielman, a clean-shaved face on his 290-pound body, whose more contained demeanor speaks to his Midwestern roots. Both of them have cousins who made the NFL, Kris Dielman and Matt Asiata, but that's a stretch.

But look at the harmony: The duo is a big reason Devontae Booker has rushed for 665 yards in four games, plowing open holes for the junior running back.

But what about the pass? According to the Utes' internal stats, Asiata has played 433 snaps without allowing a sack. Both Junior Salt and Siaosi Aiono have been in and out, but Dielman and Asiata have started every game on the right side.

Then there's the matter of three straight game-winning drives for the 6-1 Utes. When defenses tire, the Utes still press on up front. It's Dielman who helps set the pace.

"He pushes me more than I feel like I push him," Asiata said. "JJ's obviously a lot lighter and — how would I say this? — faster, has a better lung capacity than I do. He pushes the tempo."

Both say fall camp wasn't as much a competition as it seemed. When Jeremiah Poutasi switched from guard to left tackle in the spring, it opened up the opportunity for Dielman and Asiata to play next to each other, and that's what they wanted all along.

It didn't come without some bumps. But any rivalry was reserved for practice, which helped build trust.

"When you're playing O-line, it's five people working as one, even more so when you're a guard-tackle," Asiata said. "I got to trust that JJ's gonna be there, and I do. He trusts that I have his back. It just goes from off the field onto the field. He's one of my good friends, and that just carries over."

There's other carryover as well: Dielman finally embraced a little bit of Asiata's flair, wearing eye black for the USC game (though not in the WWE wrestling tribute style that Asiata does). Asiata said Dielman's business-like attitude in practice and film settings may be rubbing off a bit on his fun-loving nature.

If you see them together, just make sure you're not in their way. They're on a mission to show how the right side of the Utah offensive line is where defenses stop dead.

"I wouldn't say it's pressure, but it's motivation to get it going," Asiata said. "To tell people, 'Don't worry about the right side. We'll hold it down.'"

kgoon@sltrib.com Twitter: @kylegoon —

No. 18 Utah at No. 15 Arizona St.

P Saturday, 9 p.m.

TV: Fox Sports 1 —

No. 18 Utah at No. 15 Arizona State

Saturday, 9 p.m.

TV: Fox Sports 1