LaMichael James Injury: Ducks Star Will Return to Action in Week 9

Today is a good day to be a fan of the Oregon Ducks. Over the last few weeks, they have lost star quarterback Darron Thomas and star running back LaMichael James to potentially serious injuries.

The Ducks have won in their absence, but with a three-game stretch at Washington, at Stanford, and then home against USC starting next week, winning without their stars doesn't seem likely.

Fortunately, they are not going to have to do that.

Saturday, October 29 at 2:43 p.m. EDT

Rob Moseley reported that both Thomas and James are going to play on Saturday against Washington State.

Saturday, October 29 at 2:44 p.m. EDT

The news got even better, as Oregon's fans got a sneak preview of what it will be like to see them in action again.

Assuming they stay healthy, this is really the best possible scenario for the Ducks.

If you can help it, you don't want your star players returning to action for the first time in weeks against Washington, and certainly not against Stanford.

You never want to take a conference opponent lightly, but today's game vs. Washington State is virtually a certain win. James and Thomas can step in and be a little rusty and it won't hurt the team in the long run.

That's not the case after this week. This week, Oregon is likely to win big. These guys can get back into action, show a little bit of rust, and still win easily. As a result, they probably won't need to play much in the second half, if at all.

Oregon's chances at a Pac-12 title, and even a possible National Championship, rely on James and Thomas. So, their early return gives the Ducks hope that goes far beyond their game vs. Washington State.