It Was Just a Day of High 5s for the Victorious Huskies : Washington: Hall and Bailey, who share the jersey number, share in glory of victory over Iowa.

Washington quarterback Mark Brunell may have done plenty to earn player of the game honors in Tuesday’s Rose Bowl, but what about No. 5?

How could they overlook him?

He caught touchdown passes. He prevented touchdown passes. He recovered blocked punts and fumbles.

He was on offense. He was on defense. He was on special teams.

No. 5 was everywhere.

And the name of this 60-minute wonder?

Dana Hall and Mario Bailey.

They both wear No. 5 for Washington meaning that, on the Huskies, you can’t tell the players even with a scorecard. There are so many players on the squad, sharing a number is a common practice.

Hall is a defensive back, Bailey a wide receiver. When these guys high-five, they have good reason.

All year long, Hall and Bailey have had a rivalry.

“We are always messing with each other,” Bailey said, “over who the real No. 5 is.”

Tuesday, it was a tie.

Bailey caught two touchdown passes from Brunell, a 22-yarder in the second quarter to give Washington a 33-7 lead, and a 31-yarder in the final quarter to ease the pressure after Iowa made its final run.

Hall recovered a blocked punt in the first quarter and raced 27 yards to the end zone to give the Huskies their first touchdown. And later he recovered a fumble by the Hawkeyes’ Tony Stewart.

It was an emotional day for both No. 5s.

For Hall, a Diamond Bar resident who attended Ganesha High, it was a chance to come home the triumphant hero.

He had been in this stadium, to see some friends play in the Shrine game, and to play a conference game against UCLA.

But now, he was returning to play in the big game in front of 15 to 20 family members and friends. And when he pulled up in the team bus Tuesday morning, he broke down.

“It brought tears to my eyes,” he said. “Even when I was warming up on the field, I was just dumbfounded. It made me so tired, I had to lay down for a minute.”

So imagine Hall’s feelings shortly thereafter when teammate Andy Mason broke through to block a punt by Iowa’s Jim Hujsak.

Hall followed Mason, only to find the bouncing ball heading his way.

“Iowa shifted out of its regular punt formation and into a strange formation,” Hall said. “The two up backs shifted out, putting a lot of stress on their guards and tackles. That left the middle open for us.

“Normally, the punter stands about 14 yards back and comes up to about nine to punt. But this time, he started about 10 yards back and came up to six or seven.”

Hawkeye Coach Hayden Fry explained that his punter moved up because a pass option had been put in.

Instead, the shortened distance meant a block for Washington and a touchdown for Hall.

“It was wild,” he said. “Here I am in the end zone in the Rose Bowl. What’s next?”

Plenty, as Hall went on to play what he considers his best game of the season, breaking up several potential big gains for Iowa in the first half.

“I saved my best for last,” he said.

So did Iowa. Hall wasn’t pleased with the 27 second-half points Washington surrendered.

“We might have gotten complacent and come out soft in the second half,” he said, “but we got the job done when we had to.”

But Hall almost didn’t get the chance. Sidelined several weeks ago with a sprained toe, he didn’t find out he’d be starting until three days before the Rose Bowl.

Bailey’s day was emotional for a different reason. He dropped a potential touchdown pass in the crucial 20-14 loss to Colorado in September.

Did Tuesday’s two big catches make up for that?

“I don’t think nothing makes up for the ones I messed up,” Bailey said. “But this game was fun.

“(The touchdown catches) were run on different routes. The first was a corner route. On the second, I was just able to get away and go.”

Bailey’s two scoring catches were good for a team-high 53 yards.

Since both Bailey and Hall are juniors, it will be dueling 5s again next season.

“I try to see if I can get my name said more than him (in the media),” Hall told reporters, “and he tries to see if he can get his name said more than mine.”

But Tuesday, there was plenty to be said for both.