Winning the Big Game means a ton to Cal and Stanford players, coaches and fans.

Winning the Big Game decisively and then spending the final minutes of the fourth quarter savoring not only that victory but the realization that the win has put your team in the Rose Bowl … well, former Stanford quarterback Todd Husak vividly and enthusiastically can recall the Cardinal’s 31-13 victory 20 years ago.

“There were more exciting and compelling games,” Husak said in a phone interview Tuesday, “but I think that last five minutes and that locker room afterward was as good as it gets — and that’s why guys play college football.”

That Husak and his teammates got to celebrate Stanford’s first trip to Pasadena since the 1971 season rates as an unlikely story in and of itself. The Cardinal went 3-8 in 1998 and then opened the 1999 season with a thud, a 69-17 loss at Texas.

“We looked at it as we can either learn from it or let it sink us,” Husak said of the 52-point loss.

Clearly, the Cardinal learned from it. An offense sparked by Husak (2,688 passing yards and 18 touchdowns) and receiver Troy Walters (74 receptions, 1,456 yards and 10 TDs) helped Stanford rack up at least 50 points in three games and at least 40 in two others.

Stanford entered the Big Game with a 6-3 record, 6-1 in the Pac-10, knowing a win over Cal would mean roses. The Bears, meanwhile, were 4-6 and 3-4, and were down to third-string quarterback Wes Dalton, a walk-on.

“We knew from an offensive perspective,” Husak said, “just go out there and execute a couple of plays and we should be in position to win — and that’s pretty much what happened.”

Late in the first half, the Cardinal led 14-13 before Husak connected with Dave Davis on a 36-yard touchdown pass. Fullback Casey Moore’s 94-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter effectively ended any doubt.

Stanford outgained Cal 410 yards to 130 and almost assuredly would have held the Bears scoreless if not for cornerback/returner Deltha O’Neal. He brought back a kickoff 100 yards for a score and a punt 58 yards for Cal’s other TD.

He also grabbed Husak’s lone interception.

O’Neal “nearly got us,” Husak said. “He was special.”

The 1999 season rated as special for Stanford. The team held a reunion last month during the weekend of the Cardinal’s 41-31 win over Arizona. Husak estimated 25 of his teammates and a few coaches were there to reminisce.

“We’re still a close group,” Husak said. “It didn’t take long for us to get back telling old stories, talking about things we loved about that season, talking about our families.”

The Todd Husak synopsis of the intervening 20 years: Washington selected him in the sixth round of the 2000 draft. He played in one game, going 2-for-2 for minus-2 yards against Arizona on Dec. 24, 2000.

Though he didn’t play in another regular-season NFL game, Husak did spend time with the Broncos, Jets and Browns before retiring in 2005.

He coached tight ends at Stanford in ’05 as a graduate assistant while earning a master’s in education. He has worked in commercial real estate for CBRE in Palo Alto since 2006. And, for the past 13 seasons, Husak has handled color commentary on Stanford football radio broadcasts.

That left Husak in a somewhat awkward spot Saturday. He had owned Stanford’s record for passing yards in a game, 450, which he set in a 30-23 loss to Oregon State in 1998.

In the Cardinal’s 49-22 loss at Washington State on Saturday, Davis Mills broke Husak’s mark by throwing for 504 yards.

“It’s something I took pride in,” Husak said about the record.

And, by the way, Mills interned in Husak’s office over the summer.

“I’m proud of him,” Husak said. “It’s bittersweet. I’m happy for Davis and how hard he’s worked to battle through adversity. (Losing the record) stings a little bit, too.”

Nothing stings for Husak when recalling the final moments and the aftermath of the 1999 Big Game.

There were “lot of hugs,” Husak said. “They brought a container of roses out. Everybody grabbed one. You got pictures of guys with (one) in their teeth.

“But for me, it was more about this group of guys. I’m getting emotional just talking about it now. You go back to those guys, you spend so much time with them, and overcome a lot. …

“I did a lot of self-reflection in the locker room after the game. You think about that moment and how hard you’d worked to get there. It felt pretty good.”

Steve Kroner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: skroner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SteveKronerSF