JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Chad Owens' first NFL preseason game wasn't much different than his first two weeks in the Jacksonville Jaguars' training camp.

In other words, sensational.

The University of Hawai'i product picked up yesterday where he left off in practice, making an acrobatic, 48-yard catch in the fourth quarter of a 27-17 preseason victory over Miami.

Speeding down the right sideline, Owens jumped over Miami defensive back Billy Parker to bat an underthrown Quinn Gray pass into the air, then somehow caught the ball with one hand on his way down.

Owens' eye-popping grab set up the Jaguars' final touchdown three plays later and gave the fans at Alltel Stadium an idea of what his teammates have been seeing in practice almost every day.

"Luck was on my side,'' Owens said. "I just tried my best to time it out and make a good effort for the ball. It popped up, and I just concentrated. I guess I made a pretty good catch.''

Owens' catch was all the Jaguars could talk about in the locker room after opening the preseason with a victory made much more convincing by the second-half play of their reserves.

"I don't know if I've ever seen a catch quite like that,'' quarterback Byron Leftwich said. "That was pretty amazing.''

Owens' catch, though, didn't tell the whole story of his impressive opening night. The sixth-round pick caught another pass for 13 yards, returned three punts for 19 yards and a kickoff for 20 yards.

All of the work left Owens' head spinning.

"All I can say is, the NFL is fast,'' he said. "It takes you a little bit to get used to the speed of everything. The good thing is that I'll get used to it and get more comfortable with experience. That's what preseason is for.''

If Owens keeps making catches like the one he did yesterday, the Jaguars might have no choice but to let him get used to the NFL as a major presence in their passing game.

That wasn't supposed to Owens' role when the Jaguars drafted him. They tabbed him initially as their kick returner, but his continued production as a receiver is forcing the Jaguars to re-think their plans.

"That's just a matter of will and desire and wanting the ball,'' Owens said of the impression he has made on the team's offensive coaching staff. "As a receiver, you've got to want the ball. I'm not trying to sound greedy, but I want the ball to come my way every time I line up out there.''

Owens' performance as a receiver is even more timely because his role as the Jaguars' full-time returner might not be such a certainty after yesterday's game.

That's because Owens' primary competition for the return job, incumbent David Allen, made a strong case for himself by returning Miami's first punt 76 yards for a touchdown.

"All I can do is praise (Allen), because he did a great job,'' Owens said. "I'm not going to say, 'I wish I was back there, that could have been me.' I congratulate him, and all I can say is, may the best man win.''

But as spectacular as Allen's return was, Owens one-upped him with his circus catch in the game's waning moments that delighted what remained of the crowd of 64,072.

It was a moment Owens won't soon forget.

"I was having so much fun out there,'' he said. "It was my first NFL game, and I couldn't have asked for a more enjoyable experience.''