SOUTH BEND — Total yardage was lopsided in Notre Dame's favor. Emotions on Senior Day gave the Irish the edge. But with the game on the line, it was Connecticut that came away with the overtime victory.

Andre Dixon exploited a bad Notre Dame rush defense and ran in from the 4-yard line to give the 5-5 Huskies a 33-30 double-overtime victory.

UConn quarterback Zach Frazer, who transferred from Notre Dame three years ago, hit Kashif Moore with an 11-yard touchdown pass on the Huskies' first overtime possession.

Notre Dame answered with a four-yard hookup between Jimmy Clausen and Michael Floyd to send it into the second extra period.

In the final two minutes, Connecticut had two go-ahead touchdowns called back because of holding penalties inside the Irish 5-yard line. The Huskies were forced to settle for a 29-yard field goal that tied the game at 20 with 1:05 left in the fourth quarter.

Then, after recovering an Armando Allen fumble on the Irish 40, UConn had a chance to win the game in regulation. Lined up in the middle of the field, Husky kicker Dave Teggart missed a 37-yard field goal wide left.

It adds a bag of salt into the gaping wound that is the Notre Dame football program.

Brian Smith's interception in the end zone midway through the fourth quarter, foiled UConn's bid for an upset in regulation.

Notre Dame's pregame show of solidarity made no difference in the outcome.

Instead of a raucous charge onto the field as they emerged out of the tunnel, Irish players walked through the spirit line behind captains Kyle McCarthy, Clausen, Eric Olsen and Scott Smith as they locked arms with coach Charlie Weis in the middle.

Clausen, who threw for more than 300 yards, and receiver Golden Tate were effective again. Tate caught six passes for 96 yards and an eight-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. The defense got tougher on Tate, but he finished with more than 120 receiving yards.
Connecticut's Jordan Todman rushed for more than 100 yards, but made his biggest impact with a 96-yard kickoff return in the third quarter that tied the game at 17.

The Irish relied on field goals of 20 and 23 yards by David Ruffer, who was in for Nick Tausch for the second straight week.