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Just two scores ahead of a completely revamped Columbia squad heading into the fourth quarter, the Harvard football team needed to start off the period strong to put the game out of reach.

With the team comprised of mainly veteran players, it would seem that upperclassmen would be the likely candidates to lead the charge. But freshman wide receiver Justice Shelton-Mosley—the only rookie starter for the Crimson on either side of the ball—was the outlet that provided that much-needed cushion.

After catching a low-liner of a punt from Columbia’s Cameron Nizialek on the first play of the fourth quarter, the rookie sprinted, powered, and juked his way down the left sideline on his way to taking the ball to the house.

Although Shelton-Mosley’s fumble on a fair catch attempt late in the second quarter threatened to dampen his afternoon, the late touchdown made up for the previous mistake and more. The Crimson now had a commanding lead, 24-3. The return would ultimately be a major factor in the end result of the game, as the Lions put up two scores later in the fourth to bring the game within one touchdown.

This 86-yard punt return, the third longest in Harvard’s history, proved why Shelton-Mosley was tabbed the College Sports Madness Preseason National Freshman of the Year. Shelton-Mosley showcased his entire skill arsenal on the run—at one point, he emerged from a horde of Columbia defenders in a show of strength, and at another, he displayed his elusiveness by juking out the competition.

The Sacramento, Calif. native seemed to be in his element returning punts and kicks in relief of senior wide receiver Andrew Fischer, who was out this past weekend with a hamstring injury.

“Week in and week out, coach Craw[ford] puts us in a great position for punt returns,” Shelton-Mosley said. “It was just natural, I can’t explain what happened, it’s just me playing football since I was younger, a natural process.”

Shelton-Mosley was not exclusively limited to this defining moment, however, as he was a key cog in the Crimson’s offense on the day as well.

As one of the two main outlets for senior quarterback Scott Hosch, the rookie racked up a touchdown and 131 yards through the air from Hosch. This performance led STATS to declare him FCS National Freshman Player of the Week.

“The way defense was holding up in coverage, and the way they were battling up front, we had to earn every yard,” Hosch said. “And for those two guys to make plays like that, shake a couple of tackles and get in the end zone…it makes my job easier.”

With the Harvard offense driving down the field late in the opening half and only up, 7-0, Shelton-Mosley was able to demonstrate this ability. He turned a simple catch into a huge gain by quickly slashing towards the sideline, forcing two misses by Columbia defenders, and diving for the corner of the end zone for a 26-yard score.

Although clearly an outstanding player in his own right, Shelton-Mosley placed praise upon his teammates for taking Columbia’s attention away from him with their own stellar play, thus affording him the opportunity to produce this type of performance. Senior Ben Braunecker, who leads the Ivy League in receiving touchdowns, fell just shy of Shelton-Mosley on Saturday, racking up 130 yards and a score of his own on the day despite drawing double coverage for most of the game.

“We just have a lot of weapons and it all plays into it,” Shelton-Mosley said.

Harvard does indeed have playmakers at each and every position on the field, but the rookie receiver still managed to shine against the Lions.

“As a freshman, [Shelton-Mosley] certainly has done a great job,” said first-year Columbia coach Al Bagnoli. “Let’s give credit to the kid. He’s a pretty dynamic playmaker.”