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got not just physically stronger but mentally stronger as the year went on. It seemed like we gained momentum in every game.” The happy conclusion had seemed un- Finishing with likely a few weeks earlier. In the fourth game, at Cornell on October 6, the Crim- son had been KO’d by a one-two combina- tion: a 28-24 defeat in which Harvard not a Flourish only coughed up a 10-point, fourth-quar- A resilient, crowd-pleasing football season, ter lead, but also lost its most dynamic of- fensive player, senior receiver/returner Jus- with talented sophomores surfacing tice Shelton-Mosley, who was hurt when by Dick fRiedman he was tackled by two Big Red defenders while bringing back a punt. The injury to his left leg was so severe that it concluded t’s the 135th playing of The Game, sons on the Crimson sideline, an 18-7 record his scintillating Harvard career. , midway through the against Yale. A two-time All-American, Shelton-Mos- third quarter. Yale has scored 10 unan- Though 2018’s record was only one game ley departed with his name festooning Har- swered points to take the lead for the better than the disappointing 5-5 mark of vard’s record book. He has the longest punt Ifirst time, 24-21. Nevertheless, the Harvard 2017, it felt a lot better than that. Part of the return for a touchdown (91 yards, against sideline exudes confidence. “There was no reason was the strong finish, a contrast to Georgetown in 2017) and the two best sin- ‘woe-is-me,’” Crimson coach Tim Murphy the fades of the previous two seasons, when gle-season averages for punt returns: 19.0 later recalled. “The offense couldn’t wait to the Crimson lost its final two games. But the yards in 2015 and 18.8 in 2017. As a pass- get out there.” superior vibe was earned all season long. catcher, Shelton-Mosley is third all-time in The spearhead of that attack is senior Even in defeat, Harvard played a crowd- receptions with 148. “His absence wasn’t just Tom Stewart. Six weeks be- pleasing, resilient brand of ball. about losing one of the best skill athletes fore, Stewart was not on the radar to be in Accordingly, Murphy was very proud of in the league,” says Murphy. “It was also this spot; a career backup, he had assumed this group. “There was considerable adver- about losing a kid who was a great motiva- the starting job in midseason. Now he is the sity and to our team’s credit, our kids never tor on our team through his work ethic and man of the moment. Starting at the Harvard batted an eye,” he says. “And somehow we his ability and his dependability. It took us 25, he needs only seven plays, the final one a 15-yard touch- down hookup with junior re- ceiver Jack Cook, to recapture the lead. At the final whistle Harvard had pulled away to win 45-27, and Tom Stewart had complet- ed his inspirational if improb- able rise from benchwarmer to team MVP and All-Ivy Honor- able Mention. The victory was Harvard’s third straight to end the season and gave the Crim- son a 6-4 overall record and a 4-3 mark in the , good for a third-place finish (see “Final Standings,” below). The triumph also broke a two- game losing streak for Harvard in The Game and gave Murphy, who now has completed 25 sea- Cook’s tour: Harvard wideout Jack Cook leaves Yale’s Deonte Henson in the dust on a third-quarter, 15-yard touchdown. The score gave the Crimson a 28-24 lead, which it would not surrender.

Photographs by Tim O’Meara/The , unless otherwise noted 33

Reprinted from Harvard Magazine. For more information, contact Harvard Magazine, Inc. at 617-495-5746 's Journal a while to get our equilibrium back offen- snared a game-high seven catches (one for a sophomore linebacker Jordan Hill and se- sively, especially with our wide receivers.” touchdown). “We knew the kid had talent nior tackles Stone Hart and Richie Ryan, Losing Shelton-Mosley was only one of but he was untested under pressure,” says did a marvelous job of holding down Princ- Murphy’s problems. He was enduring a Murphy of Adams. “But when he broke out, eton quarterback John Lovett, limiting him two-game losing streak; the meat of the you could see this was a kid who embraced to 45 yards on the ground and 207 passing. league schedule loomed; and he had a team the moment.” Hill, particularly, was everywhere, with a that was struggling to score in the red zone. This also proved true of Stewart. With game-high 11 tackles. “He’s so efficient, so Harvard’s attack was not without weapons, 3:34 left, the Crimson got the ball at its 29. consistent and so tough that even as a soph- including a battle-tested offensive line, a In nine plays Stewart dinked-and-dunked omore you tend to take him for granted,” speedy sophomore running corps that in- Harvard to the Crusader 35. With a little says Murphy. cluded breakout star Aaron Shampklin, and over a minute left, he went deep, throwing In the fourth quarter, with Princeton a cadre of resourceful receivers. The ques- to Adams, who was being covered too close- leading 22-7, Stewart took the Crimson on tion mark—a big one—was Stewart, who ly by Holy Cross’s John Smith. The referee a 10-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a had supplanted sophomore Jake Smith dur- threw the flag—interference. Adams caught 29-yard toss to senior wideout Henry Tay- ing the Cornell game. the ball anyway, at the five. Two plays later, lor. McIntyre kicked the point after. Princ- In his first start, against junior Jake McIntyre stepped back for a 25- eton 22, Harvard 14. There was hope. All de- foe Holy Cross, Stewart began supplying yard game-winner. The kick was up…it was pended on the successful execution of an onside kick. Freshman Jonah Lipel banged it to the left. Princeton covered it at mid- field. Two plays later, from the 49, Tiger back Charlie Volker turned right end and dashed upfield—all the way to the end zone. Princeton 29, Harvard 14. In never-say die fashion, Stewart got the ball back and this time needed only six plays to get the ball in the end zone. The scoring play was a 32-yard pass to Adams. McIntyre again kicked the point. Princeton 29, Harvard 21. Amazingly, the Crimson was still in it. But what fol- lowed was another onside kick by Lipel and another Princeton recovery to ice the game. The next week, at Dartmouth, the Crim- son committed four first-half turnovers and left the field at the break behind 21-0. Like most successful coaches, though, Murphy teaches his teams resolve, and that is what Harvard displayed at the beginning of the One hand, two points: Tight end Adam good! No time remained. McIntyre’s fourth second half. A long drive paid off in a sev- West fended off Holy Cross’s Cullen field goal of the evening had given Harvard en-yard touchdown run up the middle by Honohan with his right hand and caught the ball with his left for a conversion catch a 33-31 victory. “They set me up in a good Shampklin; the score had been set up by two that made the list of Top 10 plays on position,” said humble hero McIntyre after- Stewart completions to Adams. After a Big ESPN’s SportsCenter. ward. He would finish the season with 13 Green field goal early in the fourth quarter, field goals (in 15 attempts), tying the Har- Stewart brought the Crimson closer with a some answers. Under Friday-night lights at vard single-season record. Says Murphy: “If I touchdown on a 22-yard quarterback draw. Harvard , the Crimson suffered an- needed a field goal in an Ivy League game, an With 1:38 remaining, McIntyre booted a 28- other fourth-quarter collapse that turned a SEC game, an NFL game under 50 yards, I’d yard field goal that made the score Dart- 30-14 lead into a 31-30 deficit. The implosion take him against any kicker on the planet.” mouth 24, Harvard 17. But after Lipel’s on- threatened to obliterate a solid outing for The next two weeks brought Princeton side kick rolled out of bounds untouched, Stewart (20-of-36 passing for 272 yards and and Dartmouth, both nationally ranked. In that’s how it ended. two touchdowns with no interceptions) rollicking games, Harvard went toe-to-toe and a 57-yard touchdown run by Shampk- with these heavyweights before succumb- At this juncture, Murphy admits, the lin. The evening also brought the formal in- ing. The contests played out similarly: the rest of the season could have slid downhill. troduction of three other sophomores, tight Crimson dug itself into an early hole but Instead, Harvard responded with its three end James Batch, whose first career catch then hung around. The Tigers entered Har- best games. First came a 52-18 demolition of was a 35-yard touchdown, tight end Adam vard Stadium on a rampage, scoring 52.0 banged-up Columbia at the Stadium. On the West, whose one-handed grab on a two- points a game and surrendering an aver- Crimson’s first play from scrimmage, Stew- point conversion was featured on ESPN’s age of 8.6. The Crimson gave them all they art threw caution to the winds—as well as Top Plays, and wideout Tyler Adams, who could handle. The Harvard defense, led by one of the sweetest passes you’ll ever see.

34 January - February 2019

Reprinted from Harvard Magazine. For more information, contact Harvard Magazine, Inc. at 617-495-5746 Dropping back, he launched a Scud missile Harvard senior some 65 yards in the air that hit the streak- defensive back Tyler Gray (3), senior ing Cook in stride. In a twinkling Cook was defensive tackle Alex over the goal line for a 92-yard touchdown— (38), and junior the longest TD pass in Crimson history. Two linebacker Cameron more touchdown passes, a 75-yarder to Ad- Kline (52) halt—how- ever briefly—Dart- ams and a 74-yarder to Shampklin, followed mouth quarterback in the first 12 minutes alone. Stewart fin- Jared Gerbino, who ished with five touchdown passes, tying the rampaged for a Harvard single-game record. game-high 183 yards. The following Saturday at ’s home game), before a blustery , the Crimson offen- sellout crowd of 34,675 sive and defensive lines—the latter pulling and an ESPN2 audi- off a stirring goal-line stand—dominated ence. This was the first unexpectedly bumbling Penn in a 29-7 blud- year since 1894 that the geoning. When Stewart was knocked out Game was not played of the game by a Penn tackler during the at either a Harvard or Yale facility. Never But shortly thereafter the Elis tied it again second quarter, Smith came in and played a great place to watch football, Fenway re- on a 16-yard pass from quarterback Griffin solidly, going 7-for-11 passing and tossing for ceived lukewarm reviews from the faithful. O’Connor to wideout JP Shohfi. two touchdowns to senior wideout Brian (Some female spectators did appreciate hav- Right before halftime, Stewart took the Dunlap. Harvard’s runners plowed for 215 ing better restrooms than those at Harvard Crimson 77 yards in 45 seconds. The final yards behind holes created by their interi- Stadium.) The contest turned out to be one 19 came when Stewart flipped a little pitch or linemen: senior left tackle Tim O’Brien, of the hottest and most contentious of the to Taylor, who was running a short pattern sophomore left guard Eric Wilson, senior ancient rivalry. Stewart’s injury raised doubt from right to left. Taylor caught the ball at center Ben Shoults, senior right guard Larry about whether he would face Yale; in the about the 12 and then got up enough steam Allen Jr., and junior right tackle Liam Shana- days before the game, he did not practice. to would-be Yale tackler Noah Pope han. The defense, meantime, held Penn to 58 But at kickoff, he was ready to go. He per- to the end-zone pylon. Harvard 21, Yale 14. yards rushing on 32 attempts. The Quakers formed magnificently, completing 18 of 27 Early in the third quarter came the first also committed four turnovers (two fumbles passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns. controversial call of the day. O’Connor lost, two interceptions). The first came in the opening quarter, a briskly directed the Elis from their 25 to the Finally, The Game. This year’s venue was 22-yard dart to Taylor, to make it 7-0 Har- Crimson eight. There, on third-and-goal, he Fenway (though it was nominally a Harvard vard. After Yale tied it up, the Crimson threw a pass in the right flat to running back struck again, using some Zane Dudek. Harvard defensive back Wes- trickeration. The Harvard of- ley Ogsbury got to Dudek at the same time fense came out in the Wild- as the ball did. His smash hit, which looked cat formation, with the snap to be at Dudek’s shoulder level, caused an going not to a quarterback incompletion. But hold the phone! An offi- but to sophomore running cial threw a flag and charged Ogsbury with back B.J. Watson. Watson targeting—taking deliberate aim at the re- handed the ball to Adams, ceiver to inflict injury. Instead of being faced who was steaming from left with fourth-and-goal from the eight, Yale to right. The play was, essen- was awarded a first down at the four-yard- tially, an old-fashioned end- line; Ogsbury was ejected. around. Adams sped to the After the game, Murphy was having none right flank, turned upfield, of it. “It’s hard to be diplomatic here,” said and outran everyone to the the coach, who is usually diplomatic (in end zone. Harvard 14, Yale 7. public, at least). “I watched it several times on replay. I just can’t believe that was any- Hold that Tiger: Harvard thing other than a form [i.e., legal] tackle. linebackers Jordan Hill (55) and Joey Goodman (59) put Honest to goodness, it was such a bang-bang the clamps on Princeton’s play.” (Clearly Ogsbury’s teammates held Charlie Volker. Hill had him harmless; see Tidbits, below.) a game-high 11 tackles. In his clutches: Having The effect of the penalty was two-fold. beaten Princeton’s The immediate upshot was to give Yale a Christian Brown, Harvard pathway to a touchdown instead of having sophomore wide receiver to settle for a field goal; O’Connor would Tyler Adams prepares to gather in a fourth-quarter wedge the final yard for six points, and Alex touchdown pass. Galland added the point after touchdown.

Harvard Magazine 35

Reprinted from Harvard Magazine. For more information, contact Harvard Magazine, Inc. at 617-495-5746 John Harvard's Journal

Green (and Crimson physical football team.’ You could absolutely and Blue) Day: No see that in 2018, and the epitome was the last stranger to football or big events, Fenway three games, where we just dominated the Park was decked out in last quarter against every team we played.” its finest for its first The Stewart-led attack proved unstop- Harvard-Yale game. pable. Harvard covered 75 yards in three plays: a 32-yard pass to Cook, a 16-yard mainder of the 15 yards run by Adams, and finally a 27-yard touch- to the goal line. Harvard down dash by sophomore back Devin Dar- 28, Yale 24. rington. As he reached the three-yard-line, Again the Elis retali- though, Darrington wagged his index fin- HARVARD THE ated, holding the ball ger at a Yale defender and was flagged for

AMY Y. LI/AMY Y. for more than five min- taunting. The touchdown was erased and Harvard 21, Yale 21. The longer-term impact utes while driving 67 yards to the Crimson the ball brought back 15 yards to the 18. Af- was to deprive the Crimson of its best sec- eight. The fourth quarter had just begun and ter the game, Murphy did not defend Dar- ondary ball hawk (six interceptions, tied for Yale was faced with fourth-and-two. Deci- rington the way he had Ogsbury. “The bot- second-most in the Ivy League in 2018) and sion time: go for it and keep the possibility of tom line is, he was wrong,” said the coach. most aggressive coverage man. a touchdown alive, or take the three points “He got overwhelmed by the moment.” The On its next possession Harvard went with the hope that you’ll score again? Yale incident soon went viral. The Crimson even- three-and-out. Taking over at its 27, Yale coach Tony Reno called tually had to settle for a drove all the way to the Crimson six, cour- a time-out, then opted 36-yard McIntyre field tesy of a 48-yard pass from O’Connor to for the latter. Galland FINAL STANDINGS goal. Instead of Harvard Shohfi. (It’s possible that Ogsbury would booted a 25-yard field Ivy Overall 35, Yale 27, it was Har- have been the cover man had he remained goal that narrowed the Princeton 7-0 10-0 vard 31, Yale 27. in the game.) But here the defense showed score to a very narrow Dartmouth 6-1 9-1 On its ensuing pos- its mettle. On first down, senior defensive Harvard 28, Yale 27. Harvard 4-3 6-4 session Yale went three- tackle Scott Garrison broke through to sack The rest of the Columbia 3-4 6-4 and-out. A good punt O’Connor for an eight-yard loss. (Upon re- fourth quarter was 3-4 6-4 return by Taylor cou- flection, maybe the game’s biggest play.) Two Crimson-colored, Yale 3-4 5-5 pled with an unsports- incompletions followed. On fourth down, with the veteran of- Cornell 2-5 3-7 manlike-conduct call Galland’s 32-yard field-goal try sneaked in- fensive and defensive Brown 0-7 1-9 on Yale gave the Crim- side the left upright. Yale 24, Harvard 21. lines asserting their son the ball at the Eli Now Harvard had to dig deep. Right back power. “They were 45. A 12-yard Adams came Stewart on a 75-yard touchdown drive, the strength of our team,” says Murphy. “At run was followed by three rushes by Dar- completing four passes and even running for the very first team meeting of 2018, I said, rington. On the last, he squeezed through 12 yards. On the final toss, he found Cook ‘It’s a line-of-scrimmage game. We’ve got a tight hole into the end zone. McIntyre with a short flip and Cook legged it the re- to become a bigger, stronger, tougher, more kicked. Harvard 38, Yale 27. Now the Elis looked worn down. Again they went three and out. A punt gave the Crimson excellent field position and Har- vard began driving for the coup de grâce. On first and 10 from the Yale 17, Stewart took the snap and ran to his right. Seeing Eli tacklers, he went into the slide that are permitted as a protec- tive measure. His right leg appeared to get stuck under him and, the play over, he lay on the ground in agony. The stretchers were summoned and Stewart was carried out like a gladiator on his shield. Taken to a hospital, he was released that evening and was expected to make a full recovery. Thus concluded one of the more as- Down goes Eli: After beating Yale blocker Sterling Strother, Harvard defensive lineman Scott Garrison tackles quarterback Griffin O’Connor. The third-quarter sack forced the Elis to settle for a field goal.

36 January - February 2019 www.gocrimson.com

Reprinted from Harvard Magazine. For more information, contact Harvard Magazine, Inc. at 617-495-5746 tonishingly meteoric careers in Crimson an- nals. “Tom and I had a lot of conversations along the way over four years,” says Murphy. “He grew so much as a person here. Like a BRIDGE lot of young quarterbacks, he really wasn’t ready. He could always throw the football, but he didn’t understand the mental part of the game—the emotional part and the lead- Their Future ership part. Between his sophomore year and his senior year he improved as much as any quarterback I’ve been around.” In came Smith. On his first snap, he mere- ly handed to Darrington, who gamboled through a large hole into the end zone. (No finger-wagging this time, though Dar- rington did take a long look into the Yale section along the third-base line.) McIntyre Tuck Business Bridge is a total kicked the final point of the 2018 season. immersion business program designed Harvard 45, Yale 27. The 45 points tied the Harvard high for The Game. The 72 com- to prepare top liberal arts, science, and bined points were the most ever in a Har- engineering undergrads for challenging vard-Yale game. Harvard’s 578 total yards careers in business and beyond. were a record against Yale—zooming past the 518 amassed in 2012. In just a few weeks, the Tuck Business As he looks to 2019, Murphy has some Bridge Program®, held at the Tuck School big holes to fill, most notably on the offen- of Business at Dartmouth , delivers sive and defensive lines. But the skill posi- tions are deep and talented. The running- a comprehensive business curriculum back troika of Shampklin (who led the Ivy taught by Tuck’s top-ranked MBA faculty, League in rushing with a 105.3-yard average), a capstone team project, recruiting, Darrington, and Watson all will get “tons of reps,” Murphy promises. McIntyre and and one-on-one career guidance, to give punter Jon Sot, who as a freshman topped students the tools they need to get a job the Ivy League with a 41.1-yard average, will and succeed. continue to handle the kicking. Jake Smith will have a shot at regaining his starting Scholarships are available! job at quarterback but he will be pushed by several promising candidates. Maybe 2019 Tuck Business Bridge Program* one of them will emerge, just the way Tom Session 1: June 9–July 3 Stewart did. Session 2: July 7–31 Tidbits: With Harvard’s victory, the se- *Program dates subject to change ries now stands at Yale 67 wins, Harvard 60 2019 December Bridge Program wins, and eight ties….Five Harvard players were named to the All-Ivy first team: senior December 1–20 offensive lineman Larry Allen Jr., senior de- fensive lineman Stone Hart, sophomore run- ning back Aaron Shampklin, senior defensive back Wesley Ogsbury, and freshman punter Jon Sot. Four others were named to the sec- ond team, and three more were Honorable Mentions….Rising fifth-year senior Wesley . Hanover, NH Ogsbury was elected the 146th captain of 603-646-6459 Harvard football. Ogsbury, a defensive back from Denver, is a resident of [email protected] and an economics concentrator.…The first bridge.tuck.dartmouth.edu game of Harvard’s 2019 football season will be on September 21 at San Diego.

Harvard Magazine 37

Reprinted from Harvard Magazine. For more information, contact Harvard Magazine, Inc. at 617-495-5746