Oregon Ducks Football: 5 Reasons Not to Fret over LaMichael James' Injury

It was a bittersweet victory for the Oregon Ducks in their 43-15 rout of the California Bears on a rainy Thursday night. LaMichael James, the Ducks' leading rusher, was carted off the field early in the fourth quarter with an apparent arm injury.

For the first time in recent memory, you could hear a pin drop in Autzen Stadium as the fans began to tremble at the thought of losing James for the season. It was not out of the realm of possibility for one to think that way, either, due to the way James was rolling on the ground in agonizing pain. 

However, Duck fans were able to finally exhale as James announced after the game that there was in fact no broken bone, and that the injury was certainly not of the season-ending type. However, if the early indications of an elbow dislocation are indeed correct, James could very well miss some time.

Whether or not James is the starting tailback for the Ducks next week when they take on the Arizona State Sun Devils, Oregon will have enough talent to withstand the absence of James.

Here's a list of five reasons why Oregon fans should not fret over the potential loss of LaMichael James.

5. Darron Thomas Will Be Able to Run More

If there is one major difference between last year's offense compared to this year's, it's the fact that Darron Thomas has not run the ball himself nearly as often.

You can blame it on the fact that opposing defenses are aiming to eliminate Thomas from the running equation, or it could be that Oregon wants to limit the amount of hits that Thomas takes. Either way, Thomas simply isn't getting involved in the run game.

Thomas excelled at running the option read last season and proved that by rushing for 486 yards and five touchdowns. However, he could've been forced to run the ball 93 times due to Oregon's lack of depth at the running back position.

Backup Kenjon Barner missed an extended amount of time due to injury, and Tra Carson and DeAnthony Thomas were still in high school. However, with James now potentially missing a couple of games, Thomas immediately turns into the most experienced playmaker on offense.

Expect Darron Thomas to reinstate himself as a dual-threat quarterback.

4. Josh Huff Is Back from Injury

One player who was expected to contribute at a high level in 2011 was Josh Huff. Unfortunately, he was nagged with injuries in the beginning of the season but now looks to be officially back in the starting lineup.

Huff is a special athlete, and that was made evident when the Ducks were willing to give him an extended amount of playing time as a true freshman. Coincidentally, Huff was used quite similarly to the way DeAnthony Thomas is being used this year—a running back featured in the pass game. 

Even though Huff isn't technically a running back—he certainly has the capability to be—he is a weapon that has the potential to turn a small play into a touchdown at any given moment. The numerous athletic plays he made against Cal certainly drive that point home.

3. James Should Be Back in Time for Stanford

Whether or not James misses any time due to this injury, he should be back in time to take on the Stanford Cardinal Nov. 12. The Ducks will need James back because that game will likely decide who represents the northern division in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

It was only last year when James rushed for 257 yards on the Cardinal defense—a performance the Ducks might need duplicated if they hope to beat their conference rivals.

With James in the lineup, the Ducks should be the favorites to win, even though the BCS standings will beg to differ. However, if James somehow misses the Stanford game, it will be a tough uphill battle that will be difficult to overcome.

2. DeAnthony Thomas Will Get More Touches

I don't want to say that having LaMichael James sidelined would be a good thing, because it obviously wouldn't. However, something good could come from it.

DeAnthony Thomas is a star in the making, there is simply no getting around that. It's rare for true freshmen to play right away on Chip Kelly's team, and Thomas is even doing a little more than that. Thomas had six catches for 114 yards against the Bears and tacked on three touchdowns through both the air and the ground.

And it's not only his production that speaks volumes, but the demeanor that he carries with him onto the field. At only 18 years old, Thomas is playing with a swagger that most true freshmen would not. He deserves to be on the field at all times, and he's letting his production do the talking.

He is a big play just waiting to happen, and the scary thing is that he is only just learning how to play at this level. We could see Thomas' workload increase over the coming weeks, and that should make Ducks fans giddy with excitement.

1. Kenjon Barner

What people may not realize is that Kenjon Barner is one of the best, if not the best, backup running backs in the entire nation. His rare combination of power and speed would make him the feature back of many other teams in the country.

The Ducks are fortunate enough to have him as the reliable backup to James, even though he still gets an extended amount of playing time every game.

We know Barner is capable of carrying the load, he just hasn't had the opportunity to prove it yet. Sure, he rushed for over 150 yards and scored five touchdowns in a half when James was suspended for the first game in 2010, but that was against the lowly New Mexico defense.

Barner is a very capable back that will cushion the potential loss of James. If given enough touches throughout the course of a game, Barner will inevitably make the big plays.