Despite dropping a close game to N.C. State Saturday, the Cavaliers can find a silver lining in the performance of freshman cornerback Ras-I Dowling.
Dowling, whose first name is pronounced "rahs-eye," has seen many things go well for him this season. Playing mainly on the kickoff unit during the early part of the season, he took advantage of the opportunities given to him, as evidenced by his number of tackles.
On any given kickoff, there are 10 players who are nearly equally likely to make the tackle. With that said, Dowling has accumulated 29 tackles already this season playing mainly on the kickoff team. For some perspective, that placed him 12th on the team in tackles but every player ranked ahead of him has had a more regular role on Virginia's defense. Dowling seems to have a nose for running down ball carriers.
Dowling downplayed his abilities and focused on why he even got a chance to play cornerback Saturday.
"I've worked hard since the beginning [of the year]," Dowling said. "I got moved up into the spot when [senior cornerback Chris] Cook got hurt."
While his knack for making plays may not have been the only factor in the coaching staff's decision to play him as cornerback against N.C. State, he did make seven tackles, indicating that his ball-hunting abilities may not be limited to kickoff coverage.
"Ras-I is a player that has a lot of upside," Virginia coach Al Groh said. "For a true freshman, he did a real nice job for us. He made quite a few plays and because of how their offensive plan was set up, an awful lot was directed at him."
In addition to his seven tackles, Dowling tied the school record with five pass breakups against the Wolfpack. He also recorded his first career interception in the game, the only interception by a Cavalier cornerback this season.
For all of his accomplishments, including his solid play at N.C. State, he struggled at times during the game, especially when covering the deep passes.
N.C. State sophomore wide receiver Donald Bowens, who was covered by Dowling all game, amassed 202 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 11 catches. Bowens started only because the normal starter, senior John Dunlap, was injured. N.C. State's final scoring drive of 60 yards was covered in just two plays, both 30-yard completions to Bowens.
Bowens "had a couple of those plays last week," Groh said. "We were well aware of the fact that vertical routes are pretty much 'throw it up there and let him jump for the ball plays.'"
Dowling appeared to have good coverage on the two plays, but they were the undoing of Virginia Saturday.
"Certainly there are some plays he would have liked to have back tonight," Groh said. "He didn't get any relief. There weren't many calls to the other side. He's got toughness about him. I'm sure he'll be resilient and bounce back, and whatever support he needs from us we'll make sure we give to him."
Dowling is a work in progress. He is having a productive first year and even displayed flashes of brilliance against the Wolfpack, despite several setbacks.
"He was out there quite a bit by himself," Groh said. "He had some challenging moments out there for a young guy. In his first full action, he did a nice job for us."
Dowling, who has experienced primarily success this season, now knows what a setback feels like. What did he learn from the experience?
"Not giving up the big ball," Dowling said.
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