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5 Best Players for Texas Football in First Half of 2016

By Tyler Brett

Oct 15, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; The Texas Longhorns take the field prior to kickoff against the Iowa State Cyclones at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The Longhorns won 27-6. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 15, 2016; Austin, TX, USA; The Texas Longhorns take the field prior to kickoff against the Iowa State Cyclones at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The Longhorns won 27-6. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 14, 2015; Morgantown, WV, USA; A Texas Longhorns helmet rests on the bench at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 14, 2015; Morgantown, WV, USA; A Texas Longhorns helmet rests on the bench at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports /

Football demands excellent in all three phases of the game. While the place-kicking has had its struggles in the first half, Michael Dickson has been an asset punting the football. He helps Texas’ beleagured defense by flipping the field whenever the offense stalls out.

Through six games, Dickson has punted the ball 30 times and is averaging 47.9 yards per kick. That is the third highest mark in college football right now. That’s a significant bump from his average last season, 41.3, and could earn him some love at the end of the year from the Ray Guy Award voters.

The sohpomore from Australia has really developed as a punter and backed up his reputation for having a big leg this season. He’s punted at least one kick 50 yards in every game. Against Notre Dame in the opener, he averaged a season-high 55 yards per punt and bombed a 64-yard kick. In a game where every possession mattered, flipping the field like that was invaluable.

While he’s not the guy most Texas fans want to see on Saturday, Dickson is a valuable weapon for this team. Continuing to push opposing offenes deep into their own territory on punts will only help the Texas defense as they find their way.

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