BANGOR, Maine – With the score tied at 13 heading into the fourth quarter, the Norwich University football team yielded 14 fourth-quarter points to drop a 27-13 contest on Saturday. 

Husson clinched the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference title with the victory, moving to 6-0 in the league and 8-1 overall. Norwich, the defending league champions, fall to 4-5 overall and to 4-2 within the conference. 

The Eagles took the lead for good as John Smith was the key offensive cog, running the ball nine out of his team's 11 plays on the drive. Smith, who entered play as the leading rusher in all of NCAA Division III football (162 yards/game), his third rushing touchdown of the game (and a Travis Tetreault point-after) put his team up 20-13. 

After both teams traded three-and-outs, Norwich received a Tyler Bassett punt and fumbled the football, setting up Husson's Kadeem Edge for a 44-yard touchdown reception from Cory Brandon to ultimately create a 27-13 lead. With 2:01 left in regulation, the Cadets threw an interception in the game's waning seconds to eliminate a comeback attempt. 

Husson got on the scoreboard first as a Smith two-yard touchdown run propelled the hosts to a 7-0 lead on their first offensive possession. On the team's first second-half possession, a three-yard rush by Smith would create a 13-0 advantage after Tetreault's point-after attempt failed. 

After an errant Husson pass was hauled in by senior Cody Lindell (Cranston, R.I.), running back Tyreque Estrada-Crapps (Springfield, Mass.) picked up a lateral by senior quarterback Philippe Bazinet (Otterburn Park, Quebec, Canada) and connected with senior Pierre Noel (Manchester, N.H.) on a 44-yard touchdown reception with 4:25 left in the third quarter. 

After the Norwich defense stood tall and forced a Husson three-and-out, freshman Patrick Brown (Pooler, Ga.) ran the ball home 64 yards on the first play of the drive to cut the score to 13-12, Husson. Senior Wesley Medeiros (Gilford, N.H.), who missed the first point-after for Norwich, rebounded to tie the game at 13 following Brown's score. 

Brown was his team's leading rusher, netting 100 yards on the afternoon. Noel accounted for 64 of his team's 71 receiving yards on the day while freshman Connor Bourque (Goffstown, N.H.) tallied 97 all-purpose yards, 76 of them coming off of three kickoff returns. 

Quarterbacks Bazinet and junior Nolan Aurelia (Stratford, Conn.) combined for only seven completions on 23 total attempts, netting 27 yards, while Estrada-Crapps connected on his lone heave of the afternoon. 

Junior Austin Roberts (East Bridgewater, Mass.) had an outstanding game on defense for Norwich, making 17 total tackles on the afternoon, the most by any Norwich player dating back to at least the 2011 season. Lindell and senior Benjamin Hummer (Annapolis, Md.) each registered one interception on the day, posting 11 tackles, with senior Derek Lotito (Swanzey, N.H.) ending the day with nine takedowns. 

Smith finished the day netting 211 yards on 44 carries – his team recorded only 49 rushes on the day. Brandon threw for 15 completions on 26 attempts alongside two interceptions while DJ Allen caught six passes for a total of 66 yards. Ellis Throckmorton led his team with eight total tackles. 

Norwich will meet up with in-state rival Castleton University at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12 in the annual battle for the Maple Sap Bucket.