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| Photo by Lou Roesch Copyright 2017 All Rights Reserved |
By Lou Roesch
Copyright 2017 All Rights Reserved
HOUSTON, TEXAS (December 28, 2017) Since the inception of the Texas Bowl eleven
years ago, all ten previous MVP awards went to offensive players including nine
quarterbacks. Not until 2017 did someone other than an offensive player make
an argument for MVP. Enter University of Texas Longhorns punter Michael Dickson (shown above right and below left)) . Yes, a punter earned the 2017 Academy Sports & Outdoors Texas Bowl
MVP award, but rest assured Michael Dickson is not just any ordinary punter. His right foot has been terrorizing opposing
special teams coaches for the better part of two seasons. This is a punter who had
48 of 73 punts sail for more than 50 yards. A punter who led the nation in
yards per kick and net yards per kick in 2017 and threatened to rewrite the FBS
record for punters. This is Michael Dickson.
The kicker who singlehandedly put Missouri on their heels all night long
beginning with his first kick at 10:23 of the first quarter that was downed at
the Tigers three yard line.
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| Photo by Lou Roesch Copyright 2017 All Rights Reserved |
Not many would realize that they were in for
a treat from a very special kicker as they watched one punt after another
continue to pin Missouri down. Ten of the junior punter’s kicks were downed
inside the 20 and the one to the three in the opening quarter was the first of five
first half punts inside the 10 yard line. Thanks to Dickson’s foot, the Tigers
started six of their 10 first half possessions inside the ten yard line.
Before the Longhorns kicker’s record setting
performance, undrafted free agent Florida State punter now NFL placekicker
Graham Gano was all alone in the record books. The unanimous All-American
kicker (first Longhorns punter to do so) by way of Sydney, Australia had more
yards punting (452) then the Tigers had on offense (390). With eight Missouri’s 17 drives starting on
or inside their own 10 yard line, it is a wonder they didn’t lose by more than
the count of 33-16. The Longhorns kicker, averaging 41.1 yards
per boot, left his final punt of the game at the Missouri four yard line.
Coming into the game, the 2017 Ray Guy Award
winner (first for UT) as the nation’s best punter had landed nearly thirty
percent of his kick’s inside the opponents 10 yard line. On this record setting
night, he would nestle a staggering 47 percent inside the Missouri 10 yard
line. It should have come as no surprise that the two-time Big 12 Conference
Special Teams Player of the Year (2016 & 2017) would have no touchbacks and
no return yards in this contest considering that in 2017 only 12 of his 73 punts
coming into the game had positive yardage returns and nine of those were for
three yards or less. The numbers are even more staggering when you consider
that 32 of his 73 regular season punts landed inside the 20 yard line and then
add in 10 of 11 bowl game punts meaning that 50 percent of his punt total for
2017 were downed on or inside the opponents 20 yard line in 2017. The
6-3, 205-pound kicker made sure that the last tape scouts might see of him was
memorable as he declared for the 2018 NFL draft six days earlier.
“I’ve never seen one affect the game the way
he did tonight, and I’m glad he’s on our team.,” said Longhorns head coach Tom Herman stated following the game.
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