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Seven Aggies earn first-team all-Big West honors By
USU athletic media relations
Seven Utah State football players were named to the first-team all-Big West Conference team that was selected by the league coaches and released on Tuesday. Among the Aggies on the list were linebacker Brent Passey, a three-time selection and defensive end Nate Putnam, the lone freshmen in the league to be tabbed first-team. Other USU selections included wide receiver Aaron Jones, running back Emmett White and offensive tackle Jeff Long, while Putnam and Passey were joined by linebackers Jesse Busta and Blake Eagal on the defense. Heading into the season, Utah State's linebacker corps was considered to the strength of the team and that proved evident with three Aggies from that position earning first-team honors. Passey, a senior from Mesa, Ariz., for the second straight season led the team in tackles with 119. His 368 career tackles rank third on the USU career list. Eagal, a senior from Stockton, Calif., was a second-team choice in 1999. He finished the year with 105 tackles and his 313 career tackles were ninth on the USU career list. Despite starting just four games, Busta, a sophomore from La Crescenta, Calif., was second on the team with 110 tackles. Putnam, a true freshmen from Brigham City, started the final eight games of the year and finished with 59 tackles. That total was sixth on the team and tops among defensive lineman. Jones, a senior from Casa Grande, Ariz., led the Big West in receiving and had 63 catches for 1,159 yards. His 105.4 yards per game presently rank sixth in the country. His 297 yard receiving game against Boise State was the 10th-best yardage day in NCAA history and he established a Big West record with a 29.7 yards per catch average. White, a junior from Ogden, Utah, topped the nation in all-purpose yardage with 238.9 yards per game for the sixth best average in NCAA history. As of Nov. 18, White ranked first in the nation in all-purpose yardage, 13th in rushing (120.2), 29th in scoring (8.2) and 23rd in kickoff returns (24.1). He is also second in the country in recepetions by a running back with 4.3 per game. Against New Mexico State, White established an NCAA record for all-purpose yardage in a game with 578. In that contest, he also set a school record with 322 yards rushing. White was also voted the second-team return man after averaging 8.7 yards on 21 punts and 17.9 yards on 26 kickoff returns. Long, a senior from Thorton, Colo., was a key member of USU's offensive line, which cleared the way for White and allowed just 15 quarterback sacks on the season.
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