Longhorns’ punter more than chips in
Dickson helps UT take a step forward with win over Mizzou
It was a scene no one foresaw, as hilarious as it was unexpected.
There, standing together on the mobile stage stationed at NRG Stadium’s 50-yard line, was Texas coach Tom Herman and junior Michael Dickson, otherwise known as “The Punter.”
Herman earned a spot atop the platform because UT (7-6) defeated Missouri 33-16 in the Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl Wednesday night to claim the program’s first bowl victory since 2012. Dickson was there because the Longhorns couldn’t have done it without him.
“I’ve never seen (a punter) affect the game the way he did tonight,” Herman said, “and I’m glad he’s on our team.”
Dickson, who will forego his senior season to declare for the NFL draft, punted 11 times. Ten of those kicks were downed inside the Tigers’ 15-yard line. Four of Mizzou’s drives started inside its 10. When the Aussie did finally get a chance to show off his big boot, he blasted the ball 58 yards. And one of his punts even set up a third-quarter safety.
Dickson became the first punter named MVP of a bowl since 2008, when Florida State’s Graham Gano (who served double duty as the team’s placekicker) and Vanderbilt’s Brett Upson did so in the Champs Sports Bowl and Music City Bowl, respectively.
“I didn’t believe it when they told me at first or at second,” the 2017 Ray Guy winner said. “When they were leading me up to the stage I was like, ‘Why are you leading me up on stage?’ They said, ‘You’re the MVP.’ I didn’t believe it. They said it again and I didn’t believe it. It’s still kind of sinking in now.”
The school’s first winning record since going 8-5 in Mack Brown’s final season in 2013 has the Longhorns on the right track, but Herman knows he still has a long way to go to get the Longhorns where he wants them to be.
“It’s really important for these guys to call themselves a winner,” Herman said, “and to be able to walk around their hometowns over the next few weeks of Christmas break knowing they had a winning season. It wasn’t going to be life or death. We would have been just fine next year, but this was a big step forward.”
Shane Buechele and Sam Ehlinger split time at quarterback for Texas, and both players threw a touchdown pass.
The defense helped out, too, with Anthony Wheeler scoring a TD on a fumble return in the first half and Davante Davis grabbing an interception with about three minutes left in the fourth quarter.