The native of Wagga Wagga, Australia had an outstanding first year as the punter for the Racers, averaging 42.1 yards per punt with 10 of his 54 total punts going over 50 yards, including a long of 66, and none of them getting blocked.
Where Dawson really stood out, however, was his ability to pin opponents deep in their own territory and limiting their opportunities for return. MSU opponents totaled just 65 punt return yards on the season, giving the Racers an extremely high net punting average of 39.4 yards, which was the third highest in the FCS.
In total, the first-team All-OVC selection had 16 punts downed inside the 20-yard line, had just four touchbacks and forced opponents to fair catch the ball 18 times.