whenever my number is called, go give it ev‑
erything I had. I figured they would give differ‑
ent guys a shot to prove themselves and show
why they were recruited. I tried to prove myself,
knowing I was coming in maybe not as high of
a prospect as some other guys. That part didn't
bother me at all.
"Scoring touchdowns is good and everything,
don't get me wrong," Dowling added. "But I feel
like that's what you're supposed to do in practice.
It's the little things that separate you from hav‑
ing a great day and a great season. My mistakes
always outweigh the good and that's just the way
it is."
Though Kamara, a four‑star Rivals250 pros‑
pect from Virginia Beach, was the more highly
acclaimed of UVa's two rookies at receiver, it
was Dowling who pushed himself in the rotation
against UCLA.
"My whole thing was playing," Dowling said.
"I just knew I had to come in with a chip on my
shoulder because I knew I had to prove myself. I
told the coaches that I was going to play.
"It's not about being arrogant or anything," he
After catching just five passes in his first two years in Charlottesville, third-year wide receiver
Canaan Severin hauled in five throws for 55 yards in the opener versus UCLA Aug. 30 and then
caught touchdown passes of four and 29 yards against Richmond Sept. 6.
PHOTO BY MATT RILEY/COURTESY
