South Bend, Ind. - For UConn, this was never about being part of history.

This was about making it, too … even if it meant working a little overtime in the process.

And that's exactly what happened on a picture perfect November Saturday in the Mecca of college football - Notre Dame Stadium.

At 6:13 p.m., as Andre Dixon high-stepped 4 yards into left corner of the end zone for a touchdown - right in front of a stunned Notre Dame student section - UConn, for that rare moment, had become the talk of the college football world.

UConn 33, Notre Dame 30.

In double overtime, no less, before the largest crowd (80,795) the Huskies had ever seen.

"There is no doubt that this is the biggest and best win that we've had in the short time we've been a FBS school," said UConn coach Randy Edsall, who fought back tears after UConn (5-5) ended a three-game losing streak and won for the first time since the tragic stabbing death of cornerback Jasper Howard on Oct. 18.

"We're just thankful that we were able to finally put together a win, so now we can take a game ball and send it down to Joanglia, Henry, David and the Howard family."

Edsall admitted doubt did creep in at the end of regulation when two holding calls - the second negating a Dixon 11-yard touchdown - forced the Huskies to settle for a potential-game winning 37-yard field goal by Dave Teggart on the final play of regulation, and Teggart hooked the ball left, sending the game into overtime tied 20-20.

"I said 'here we go again,'" said Edsall, whose team's five losses this year are by a combined 15 points. "You sit there on the sideline, you're staying positive and you're thinking what you're going to tell them when they make that field goal … then, boom."

This time, however, the Huskies regrouped.

The teams exchanged touchdowns in the first overtime - UConn's Kashif Moore leaping high in the end zone to catch an 11-yard touchdown pass from Zach Frazer before Michael Floyd caught a 3-yard TD from Jimmy Clausen moments later to make it 27-27.

The Irish (6-5) started the second OT with the ball, but redshirt freshman Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Howard's replacement, stepped in front of the dangerous Golden Tate to knock the ball away on a third-and-4 play and Notre Dame had to settle for David Ruffer's 36-yard field goal for a 30-27 lead.

UConn, which dominated Notre Dame on the ground the entire day, then went to work. Frazer threw incomplete to Marcus Easley on first down, but then handed the ball off four straight times. Jordan Todman went for 9 yards on second down, Dixon picked up a yard for the first down and then broke free for 11 yards to the Irish 4.

Dixon, a fifth-year senior, took Frazer's next handoff and headed left, where fullback Anthony Sherman and guard Zach Hurd, a junior from Waterford, sealed the corner and allowed Dixon to waltz into the end zone, setting off a wild, emotional celebration that began in the end zone and ended on the opposite end of the field with the UConn marching band and 3,800 Husky fans who made the trip.

Dixon (114 yards, 20 carries) and Todman (130 yards, 26 carries) each rushed for over 100 yards, but Dixon's last carry of the day is the one he'll remember forever.

"It was a time to do something great and start our own tradition," he said. "I'm never going to forget that one for the rest of my life. … Just the place where we're at, senior year, final regular-season road game, overtime … you can't get any better than that.

"I'm always going to remember that and I'm always going to remember how well my team played."

Once again, UConn showed tremendous resilience. The Huskies fell behind 14-0 early in the second quarter, but the defense didn't allow another touchdown until overtime and Todman delivered two huge plays.

His 43-yard touchdown run in the second quarter cut the deficit to 14-7 … and drew the ire of Edsall because he struck a "Touchdown Jesus" pose in the end zone with the football in his right hand. "Yeah, I'm afraid it was," Todman said sheepishly after the game.

But his biggest play came after Notre Dame kicked a field goal on its first possession of the second half to take a 17-10 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, Todman went 96 yards for a touchdown that finally pulled the Huskies even.

The rest is history, although Edsall reiterated UConn still has some football left (the Huskies play their final two games at home against Syracuse and South Florida and need one win to become bowl eligible).

"We're just very, very proud to win," he said. "But we know that we have to stay humble and stay hungry because we still have other things that we would like to accomplish."