It's been a long time since La Verne was No. 1 in the SCIAC, and even longer since the Leopards made the playoffs. La Verne athletics file photo

Husson got nearly 400 yards of total offense, but the Norwich defense merely bent, leading the Cadets to a 20-17 win. Norwich athletics photo

La Verne ended a 20-year playoff drought and clinched a share of its first SCIAC title since 1995 as the Leopards roared out to an early lead and rolled past Pomona-Pitzer 49-35. La Verne is one of 15 teams so far to clinch an automatic bid to the 2015 NCAA playoffs.

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"To know that this is only the second time we've been able to go the NCAA playoffs is special feeling." Leopards coach Chris Krich said. "This team worked hard all offseason and to do a job we've been preparing for since the end of the season is a special feeling. I'm just so proud of our guys."

Huntingdon is going back to the playoffs for just the second time overall, and the first since 2009, as the Hawks defeated Maryville 38-14. Luke Bailey threw for four touchdowns in the victory.

"We've had some really big games in the history of our program, but we've never had a conference championship," Hawks coach Mike Turk said. "The fact that our guys knew what was on the line and what was at stake, to play as well as we did today says a lot about the character of the guys on this team."

For Norwich, the wait was shorter. The Cadets were in the playoffs as recently as 2011. They'll be going back after a 20-17 win vs. Husson clinched the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference crown. Norwich started the season 0-3 vs. RPI, St. Lawrence and WPI but have run the table so far in the ECFC.

Framingham State clinched the first football automatic bid for the MASCAC, defeating Bridgewater State 27-17. Matthew Silva was an efficient 21-for-30 passing for 253 yards and three touchdowns in the win as the Rams booked a return to the playoffs after a one-year absence.

Franklin clinched its sixth consecutive HCAC title and playoff bid, rolling over Defiance 35-7. Sophomore quarterback Chase Burton threw four touchdowns, and rushed for another score, in leading a Franklin offense that gained 574 yards.

Meanwhile, Berry was unable to wrap up the Southern Athletic Association's automatic bid, and the job will be even tougher next week. Birmingham-Southern scored twice in the first half and held as the Vikings drove to the Panther 32-yard line in the closing seconds before failing on a fourth-down conversion attempt, preserving B-SC's 14-7 win. If Centre beats Berry next week and Hendrix beats Sewanee, Hendrix will clinch the SAA's first-ever automatic bid. Hendrix edged Wash U. 54-51 as Spencer Smith blocked Alex Hallwachs' potential game-tying 30-yard field goal as time expired.

Guilford defeated Hampden-Sydney for the first time since the 1999 season and kept its hopes alive for an at-large bid as Matt Pawlowski threw for 391 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-20 win. Guilford is 8-1 heading into next week's game vs. Emory and Henry. It was Pawlowski's 18th career 300-yard game. Whitworth rallied from a 13-0 first half deficit to win 20-16 at Willamette and remain in contention for an at-large bid as well. But Whitworth's strength of schedule fell by 16 points with the game and the Pirates will drop even more next week by facing winless Lewis and Clark.

A 2-yard touchdown plunge by quarterback Tyler Johnson with 21 seconds left gave Alfred a 20-16 victory over visiting Utica. With the victory, in which AU twice had to rally from behind, the Saxons improved to 7-2 overall and 5-2 in Empire 8 play, keeping alive their hopes for a conference title and trip to the playoffs. Alfred needs to beat St. John Fisher and have Ithaca beat Cortland to make the playoffs.

After Nick Sachs blocked an attempt at a game-winning field goal on the final play of regulation, Charles App rushed for a 14-yard walkoff touchdown in overtime as Kean topped Rowan 20-17. Endicott blocked two field goals, one of them in overtime, in defeating Curry 27-21 in quadruple overtime.

Anna Maria snapped a 20-game losing streak in dramatic fashion, scoring 19 points in the fourth quarter to win 24-20 at Gallaudet. Earlham and Lewis & Clark have the longest active losing streaks, at 22 games apiece. Misericordia snapped a 15-game skid by beating Wilkes 31-24.