SEATTLE

And that celebration dampener called on UW's Jake Locker, after what appeared to be a game-tying touchdown, had to be made by the referees.

"It came down to making a play," Mendenhall said after the 28-27 win which concluded on a blocked 35-yard extra-point attempt. "Our players demonstrated their will one more time. And that's a phenomenal thing."

This is the fourth year, and one Mendenhall catch phrase that's slipped through the cracks over time is "point of reference."

This win in the beautiful Northwest touched on a bunch of them, from all around the country. This day's been building for a long, frustrating while.

The Cougars gained experience the past two years by losing early-season games at two other Pac-10 Conference opponents, Arizona and UCLA.

A team that couldn't run the ball against BCS opposition the past five seasons, especially on the road, churned for 137 yards.

The Cougars knew how to save a game by blocking a kick, getting that in Las Vegas last December in a rematch with UCLA.

Quarterback Max Hall knew how to look elsewhere when he just couldn't get in rhythm with standout receiver, and favorite target, Austin Collie. That came just a week ago in Provo.

So all of these P.O.R.'s were transported to Seattle, where historical pessimism met wonderful opportunity. Where a group that's no stranger to either winning or season-defining setbacks could meld the two extremes.

The Cougars chose to make the most of almost every advantage, and refocused after most things didn't go right.

A team doesn't win 24 of its last 28 games without getting a few clues, and solving some mysteries.

When Collie came down with more butterfingers than a Halloween goodie bag, after a strong early start, Hall found Andrew George for the tight end's first touchdown catch of his career. Later, he spotted a situation to get Fui Vakapuna his first score -- on his first carry of the year.

Third downs kept popping up, 14, and BYU converted 12 (UW was 9-of-15).

Linebacker Vic So'oto went down with a broken foot, another player seamlessly stepped in.

The secondary appeared to get burned several times, yes, but wasn't that somewhat the point? Dare Locker's sporadic arm to win the game. He had chances to put the heavy favorites away, long before he expressed a little too much joy after another hard run.

Which brings us back to that last play -- one that will get talked about all season by Huskies fans, and mentioned by any Cougar haters as long as the 2-0 team continues to build on its No. 15 national ranking.

Seattle's known for its gray area, as in the sky that is known to be covered almost daily in clouds.

But referees pointed out they had no choice but to flag UW's quarterback, after scoring on a brave 3-yard run, for tossing the ball high into the air.

The celebration was quick; it was not taunting in any fashion. But it was still a 15-yard penalty.

"After scoring the touchdown, the player threw the ball into the air. We are required, by rule, to assess a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty," referee Larry Farina said in one of the Pac-10 Conference's few instances of referees' transparency. "It is a celebration rule that we are required to call. it was not a judgment call.''

Hey, I don't like Rule 9, Section 2, Article 1 (Section C), either. Let the kids play, and when emotions of the moment are pure, don't penalize them -- unless it's derogatory toward the opponent, or the pace of play.

But coaches (including UW's Tyrone Willingham) knew the celebrations, no matter how innocent, were going to draw more scrutiny this year.

"I do know this: Throughout the entire game, there were all kinds of plays on both sides," said Mendenhall. "That was the most visible play. But celebration is a penalty. Whether it was or not, I didn't see it. But if it was, it should have been called, even if it was our team. The rules are the rules. I'm glad that there was one play left, still, to decide the outcome."

BYU's players, while some more oblivious than others about Locker's moment, were generally torn. The fiery Hall confessed he'd hunch his shoulders and hope no one would notice what he'd done. Harvey Unga and others felt compassionate for their opponent, and the surge of adrenaline that had to be kicking through him after capping a gritty 17-play, 76-yard drive with two seconds left in the game.

But looking at the extra distance of that final kick is missing what's important, for either team.

Washington, losers of 11 of its last 13 games, knows all about failure but cannot do what it takes to escape the trend.

BYU made another breakthrough. That was a day-long deal, however, not just something hinging on a Husky foot.

• Jason Franchuk can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it