Certainly, next year’s receiving corps extends beyond Firkser. Shelton-Mosley, who racked up 589 receiving yards and six touchdowns, is back again, as is junior Joseph Foster and sophomore Jack Stansell.

But Murphy has consistently found a way to utilize wide-outs like Firkser with good hands and big frames. If Saturday is any indication, the junior is primed for a big season.

An exclamation point and a question mark for special teams

The good news is that the Crimson still knows how to block a kick.

The spring game ended this way, with the defense pushing through the line to smother an extra point. Murphy whirled his hands in the sky, and both teams raced to the locker room.

Earlier in the game, Harvard had also burst through for a would-be blocked punt—except, given the informal nature of the game, punter Zach Schmid held onto the ball and booted a second later.

That special-teams stinginess recalled last season, when Harvard finished third in the nation in blocked punts (five) and fifth in in blocked kicks (seven).

The bad news is the other side of the equation: Punter Zach Schmid and kicker Kenny Smart still inspire uncertainty in the hearts of Crimson fans.

There were no slip-ups last Saturday, as Schmid uncorked a few line-drive punts and Smart nailed extra points and two short field goals. Nor were there acts of brilliance.

All too often last year, shaky kicking hurt Harvard. It remains to be seen whether an additional year of experience and practice will make a difference for Smart and Schmid.

—Staff writer Sam Danello can be reached at sam.danello@thecrimson.com.