Loss puts focus on Weis' future

SOUTH BEND, Ind. --- After a string of stinging losses, the Connecticut Huskies finally won one for their slain teammate.

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Associated Press

Connecticut running back Andre Dixon scores the winning touchdown in the second overtime period against Notre Dame on Saturday.

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Associated Press

The Huskies' Jordan Todman returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown that tied the game at 17 in the third quarter Saturday.

Coach Randy Edsall called the Huskies' double-overtime victory against Notre Dame the program's "best win."

On the other side, Charlie Weis was left to try to explain another jarring loss on senior day and wonder if it will be his last game at Notre Dame stadium as Fighting Irish coach.

Andre Dixon scored on a 4-yard touchdown run in the second overtime to give the Huskies a 33-30 victory, their first since cornerback Jasper Howard was stabbed to death in October.

"Jazz this is for you," Edsall said, referring to Howard by his nickname. "Best win we have ever had."

Edsall said beating the Irish (6-5) was big, but getting the first win after the death of Howard was much bigger.

"You've got to understand what this team has gone through," he said. "A couple of close games, and then you lose a teammate, you lose a brother, you lose a son, and you're trying so hard to honor him by winning on the field. We hadn't done that."

Edsall said the Huskies will send the game ball to Howard's mother, Joanglia, stepfather, Henry Williams, and the rest of his family in Miami. The Huskies (5-5) had lost three consecutive painfully close games since Howard was killed.

"We ended up just making the tough plays at the end that we hadn't been able to make in some of earlier games," Edsall said.

The loss was the third in a row for Notre Dame (6-5) and will add to the mounting calls for Weis to be fired. Weis declined to talk about that after the game.

"Today's not the day for me to reflect on things like that. I mean today's the day for me to be worrying about those guys, those 33 guys," he said, referring to seniors on the roster. "I really feel absolutely miserable for those 33 guys. ... I'll worry about me tomorrow. But I think today I should be worrying about them."

The loss drops Weis' career record to 35-26, a .573 winning percentage. That's worse than the .583 winning percentage of his two predecessors, Tyrone Willingham and Bob Davie.

The Irish, who usually run out of the tunnel at Notre Dame Stadium, walked out with linked arms led by the team captains and Weis, a show of support by the players.