Tom Herman appears to mock Missouri QB Drew Lock in Texas Bowl win
Texas won a bowl game for the first time since 2012 and Tom Herman made sure to celebrate accordingly.
Herman’s first season in Austin was an up-and-down affair, but the Longhorns capped it off on a high note, knocking off Missouri in the Texas Bowl, 33-16, to finish the year at 7-6 after the three previous seasons ended with losing records.
The Longhorns jumped out to a 21-7 halftime lead. Missouri was able to get as close as 21-16 late in the third quarter, but Texas — with a safety, a field goal, and a garbage time touchdown — scored the game’s final 12 points.
And with the game firmly in hand in the final minutes, Herman appeared to goof on Missouri quarterback Drew Lock, who celebrated after a long touchdown on the second play of the third quarter.
Here’s Lock’s celebration:
And here’s Herman late in the fourth.
Tom Herman…what are you doing? pic.twitter.com/Wj4GqMRFEE
— Tim England (@tengland150) December 28, 2017
UT quarterback Sam Ehlinger did it, too. Missouri fans weren’t happy about it.
Here is Texas coach, Tom Herman and QB Sam Ehlinger mocking Drew Lock's touchdown celebration from earlier in the game. Absolute trash. pic.twitter.com/slE3uDJYhS
— Missouri Sports (@MizzouSports1) December 28, 2017
After the game, Lock didn’t seem too upset about it.
Drew Lock on Tom Herman: "When the head coach is mocking your dance move you must be doing something right. You’re not a nobody. You’re definitely doing something that’s catching other people’s attention."
— Dave Matter (@Dave_Matter) December 28, 2017
Lock added that if his coach was mocking the other team's QB he'd love it. I would have been like, "Damn, Coach is balling with us."
— Dave Matter (@Dave_Matter) December 28, 2017
Folks will certainly remember that move from Herman (and Texas fans will remember Mizzou’s pregame Horns down gesture). And his sideline actions will likely overshadow an MVP performance from Texas punter Michael Dickson. Yes, you read that correctly. An MVP performance from a punter.
#Texas P Michael Dickson was named MVP of the #AcademyTexasBowl. He is the first non-offensive player to be named MVP in Texas Bowl history and is the 2nd-ever punter to be named MVP of a bowl game (Florida State P Graham Gano was named MVP of the 2008 Champs Sports Bowl)
— Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl (@TexasBowl) December 28, 2017
Dickson isn’t any ordinary punter.
UT scored twice in the first quarter but largely struggled on offense otherwise. Dickson punted 11 times on the evening, including on eight consecutive possessions. Of his 11 punts, 10 landed inside the Missouri 20-yard line with eight landing inside the 10-yard line.
— Dr. Saturday (@YahooDrSaturday) December 28, 2017
Efficiency like that shows why Dickson, a junior, opted to leave Texas early for the NFL draft. And Dickson was a reason why Missouri, which entered the game on a six-game winning streak, finished its season with a loss. The Tigers averaged more than 51 points per game during the streak, but the Longhorns limited Mizzou to just 16 points and forced four turnovers.
Like the Longhorns, the Tigers finished the year 7-6.
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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
