Jameel Dowling's much anticipated coming-out party may not have produced the fireworks that some fans might have expected after not-so-quiet whispers about his head-turning performance in Spring practice slowly developed into a bellowing head wind, but the heralded transfer from Oregon did just enough to keep his coaches excited about his role in the first team of the Greg McMackin era.

"He's a great player and I'm excited to have him," McMackin said. "He's had a great spring and he's going to be a big-time factor for us."

At 6-foot-3 and 205 spring-loaded pounds, Dowling has the sort of length and athleticism UH has rarely seen at the cornerback position.

Playing for the Green Team, Dowling finished with a game-high 3.5 tackles, including two solo tackles and a tackle assist in the first quarter.

McMackin pulled his starting defensive units and some of his offensive line starters after the first six plays to give other players time to be evaluated. Dowling added another solo tackle in the final period, bringing down wide receiver Nathaniel Nasca after a 17-yard reception.

"He's earned a starting spot," McMackin said. "He plays low. He does what he's been taught. I think he's a player, and I'm really proud of him."

Dowling, who sat out last year in accordance with transfer regulations, was less enthusiastic about his performance last night, and not just because the losing team had to eat hot dogs instead of the steaks the winning team earned.

"I think I could have done better," Dowling said. "I think I did good with my technique but I know I can be a lot better. We also had some miscommunication out there."

Dowling was particularly irked at the defensive lapse that resulted in a 13-yard touchdown hookup between Bryce Kalauokaaea and Aaron Kia.

"We'll do better in the off-season," he said.

Dowling's play, however he evaluated it, didn't escape the notice of assistant coach Rich Miano, who was otherwise busy assisting the Black Team.

"I looked over on the other side and it looked like he was making some plays," Miano said. "It's good to get him in a game situation because he sat out all of last year. He's looked great in practice."

STOP THE CLOCK

Fans seemed to like it. So did the clean-up crews and journalists working on deadline. But assistant coach Cal Lee would have appreciated one little alteration to the running game clock.

"It was fine," Lee said. "The only problem was in the last two minutes. That to me would have been perfect, if it was running time up until the last two minutes. It would have been exciting to have the opportunity to move the ball and use the clock in those situations. That's good practice, not just for the offense but the defense as well."

THAT SPINNING FEELING

Senior linebacker Solomon Elimimian remembers the first time he put on the pads for a public spring practice game — and, all things considered, he's glad he's over it.

"It feels like the world is spinning and the lights are blurry and your heart is just beating like crazy," he recalls. "It's really exciting but it's also really nerve-wracking."