A clutch performance

Washington placekicker John Anderson once said he gets lucky on the long ones. But after the Huskies' thrilling 29-26 win over No. 3 Washington State Saturday, Anderson may be thinking differently.

The senior booted five field goals to help Washington pull out one of the wildest games in the Apple Cup's 95-year history. After missing his first three attempts on the game, Anderson rattled off five straight. He showed incredible poise down the stretch in sticking all three of his overtime attempts.

"It's all about redemption and coming back," Anderson said. "I knew I was going to get another shot after missing those first three, and that I had to make the best of it. This is just a wonderful feeling."

Anderson's game paralleled the way Washington's season has come full circle the past three weeks. After a 34-24 loss to UCLA Nov. 2 left the Huskies with a 4-5 record, the UW found its will to win and swept all three of its Northwest rivals, racking up consecutive victories over Oregon State, Oregon and now Washington State.

The game didn't get off to a strong start for Anderson, who missed his first two from 50 and 51 yards out, respectively. The 51-yarder had the distance, but it smacked into the upright, leaving Washington down 17-7 at the break.

The Huskies brought Anderson in a little closer for his third try, and again came away with nothing when the 34-yard attempt sailed wide right.

"I'm not going to lose any sleep over those two 50-yarders," said Anderson. "But that 30-yarder I missed -- that's the one. That's the one I can't miss. When you're in the red zone, you have to get points; I didn't do that for us. I just had to come back and have a good last game."

Little did he realize just how good it would eventually turn out. Anderson got the Huskies rolling when he nailed a 35-yard field goal late in the third quarter. It was Washington's first points since early in the first quarter and brought the UW to within a touchdown. Anderson's 27-yard kick tied the game at 20 with just 15 seconds remaining in regulation.

Then it got interesting.

The three overtime periods quickly turned into a shootout between Anderson and Washington State kicker Drew Dunning. On the UW's first possession, Anderson knocked down a 34-yard field goal that put the Huskies up by three. Dunning responded with a 42-yarder that extended the game.

Washington held its ground on the Cougars' ensuing possession and found itself trailing by just three with an opportunity to win the Apple Cup. All it needed was a touchdown.

It looked good for the Huskies when Kevin Ware hauled in a 24-yard touchdown catch on third down, but officials ruled quarterback Cody Pickett had thrown the ball twice on the play, and waived the score off the penalty -- forcing Anderson to kick on fourth down.

Once again, Anderson was thrust into the spotlight. But this time around, a gut-wrenching, season-saving 46-yarder was staring him directly in the face. Miss it, and the Huskies lose, sending Washington State to the Rose Bowl. Make it, and the game goes on, giving the UW yet another chance to pull the upset and salvage its season.

The weight of the world seemingly fell on Anderson's shoulders then and there, and the senior loved every second of it. He drilled the kick and sent the game into triple overtime, where he booted the game-winner from 49 yards out.

"I'm just happy to have bounced back like I did," Anderson said. "I knew my team needed me and I was not about to let them down."

It was a huge win for Washington, and especially gratifying for Anderson. His past struggles with short kicks and extra points have been well documented by the media, but Anderson has taken it all in stride; he has quickly become one of the most-consistent players on the Washington roster.

"I've spent a lot of time in this program," said Anderson, "and I've had a lot of highs and lows. But to leave here making five in a row is a wonderful feeling. To go through a four-year career and not lose to Washington State is just awesome."

Anderson silenced his critics Saturday in Pullman, and may have cemented his legacy as one of the UW's greatest kickers in the process. He is now 21-of-30 on the season, and has only missed two extra points -- one of which was a 45-yard attempt. More importantly, however, is the fact Anderson has finally gained the respect many of his teammates feel he's deserved all along.

"We're all human and we all make mistakes," said Pickett. "But when the game's on the line, I wouldn't want to have any other kicker out there. John's clutch."