His First Score Is One That Will Last : Washington: Mincy’s interception return couldn’t have been much easier.

Time was running out for Washington cornerback Charles Mincy Tuesday at the Rose Bowl.

Mincy, a senior, said he had never scored a touchdown in Pop Warner football, in high school at Dorsey, or at Pasadena City College.

He acknowledged that he had one touchdown nullified by a penalty earlier in his career at Washington.

So it was only fitting that he finally scored in the most important game of his life.

And it was an incredibly easy touchdown.

Iowa quarterback Matt Rodgers threw a pass to the sideline that seemed intended for Mincy.

He intercepted and ran an untouched 37 yards to a touchdown in the second quarter that provided the Huskies with a 19-7 lead.

“Since that was my first touchdown ever and my last game as a Husky and being in the Rose Bowl I can’t even describe how I feel,” Mincy said.

Iowa Coach Hayden Fry said that Mincy benefited from a “busted route,” adding, “Rodgers threw the ball where he should have. It was like Washington knew our audibles.”

For sure, the intended receiver, wingback Danan Hughes, was heading upfield and wasn’t close to the ball.

“They were concerned with the blitz, so they checked off (changed the play),” Mincy said. “It was supposed to be a flat route, but the receiver didn’t hear the check-off and he kept running straight. I just stepped over and ran to daylight.”

Washington went on to win, 46-34, in the highest-scoring game in Rose Bowl history.

Husky quarterback Mark Brunell, a sophomore from Santa Maria, figured prominently in the scoring.

He ran for two touchdowns and threw scoring passes of 22 and 31 yards to split end Mario Bailey.

Brunell was presented the player of the game trophy by former Washington quarterback Bob Schloredt, who was similarly honored here in 1960 and 1961.

“He’s had a great year,” Washington Coach Don James said of Brunell. “You saw what his feet can do for us and I think he’ll get better and better as a passer.”

Brunell completed 14 of 22 passes for 163 yards, with one interception, and was constantly a threat as a runner, on option plays or by scrambling.

Of his five-yard touchdown run on fourth and one in the second quarter that gave Washington a 26-7 lead, Brunell said he simply decided to keep the ball and made it to the corner of the end zone.

“On the second touchdown (a 20-yard run in the third quarter) it was designed for me to hit some crossing tight ends, but they were covered so I ran,” he said.

Brunell made a nifty cutback move and also got a clearing block from fullback Darius Turner.

A rout seemed imminent at the time as Washington led, 39-14.

Then Iowa made its belated comeback.

James-coached teams are noted for their efficiency in blocking punts and returning them.

The special teams gave the Huskies a lift in the first quarter when a blocked punt resulted in a 27-yard touchdown return by cornerback Dana Hall and a 10-0 lead.

“That was kind of a surprise for us,” James said. “They had a different kind of a punt formation. Somehow or other, we had a player (Andy Mason) slip inside and come free. They were kicking a lot shorter (lining up only about seven yards from center), so we didn’t have to go very far.”

Washington was the nation’s No. 2 team before it was upset by UCLA, 25-22, on Nov. 10. That loss prevented them from vying for the national championship in a bowl game as they dropped to eighth in the Associated Press poll.

So the Huskies finished the season at 10-2 and James, who improved his record to 14-4 against Big Ten teams, was asked if he now favored a playoff in college football.

“I’m always opposed to playoffs,” he said. “The guys are overworked as it is. The demands on their time right now are all that they should be.”