The MVP of the Texas Bowl was a punter who had the performance of a lifetime
- Texas beat Missouri in the Texas Bowl on Wednesday night thanks in large part to the punting efforts of Michael Dickson who was named MVP.
- Dickson punted 11 times, landing ten inside the 15 yard line and four inside the five yard line.
- Dickson declared for the 2018 NFL draft last week, and could be the first specialist taken off the board this year.
Fitting to its name, the University of Texas won the Texas Bowl on Wednesday night, with a 33-16 victory over Missouri. And while there were many players that had a key role in the Longhorns' victory, perhaps no player affected the outcome more than Texas punter Michael Dickson.
Dickson was called in time and time again to help win the battle of field position, and had the game of his life. Having already been honored with the Ray Guy Award and recognized as the best punter in college football, Dickson capped off an impressive college career with 11 punts for the Longhorns on Wednesday. Of those 11 punts, 10 landed inside the 15 yard line, seven inside the 10 yard line, and four left Missouri pinned within five yards of their own end zone.
Check out just a sampling his handiwork for yourself and you'll begin to see just how good a game Dickson was having.
A punter having a great game isn't something football fans are used to looking for - it's not like a dazzling quarterback escape or a highlight reel worthy catch that is easy to recognize. But viewers began to notice that Dickson was pinning Missouri with every kick, and fans were quick to get invested.
After the game, Dickson was awarded Texas Bowl MVP, an honor that was previously bestowed on the likes of Andy Dalton, Ryan Tannehill, and Leonard Fournette.
After the game, Dickson was in disbelief with the award.
"I didn't believe it when they told me at first," Dickson said. "I was like, `Wait, why am I going on stage?' It's still kind of sinking in now."
Dickson has already declared for the NFL Draft, and saw his stock rise dramatically on Wednesday as he pinned kick after kick deep in his opponent's territory. Don't be surprised if you hear Dickson's name announced a bit earlier than most punters.