After a rough start to a year in which he was considered a preseason front-runner for the Heisman Trophy, LaMichael James is looking like the Doak Walker Award-winner he was in 2010. James capped off the most superb two-game stretch for a running back in Oregon history by gaining 288 yards and scoring two touchdowns on 23 carries in Oregon’s 56-31 victory over Arizona on Saturday.
“Keep writing bad things about him,” Oregon head coach Chip Kelly told The Register-Guard after the game. “Maybe he’ll run for 400 next week.”
Backup running back Kenjon Barner was outstanding for the Ducks as well, gaining 73 yards on 13 attempts and scoring three total touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) in his return from a two-game absence due to an ankle injury.
After rushing only five times in the team’s first three games of the season, dual-threat quarterback Darron Thomas joined the party, taking 10 carries for 58 yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns against the Wildcats. The Ducks as a team averaged 8.8 yards per carry and gained an astounding 415 yards on the ground.@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205266631@@
Despite a frustrating season-opener against LSU, James now has seven rushing touchdowns on the year and is averaging 9.4 yards per carry; he’s second in the nation in rushing behind Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson. More importantly, James is getting his yards the way he wants to: quickly. Oregon is currently ranked last in the country in time of possession, holding the ball slightly fewer than 24 minutes per contest while averaging 52 points per game.@@http://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/individual/1001@@@@http://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/team/1039/p3@@@@http://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/team/1028@@
“I think the team really feeds off me,” James said to The Register-Guard. “I had to come in here and I had to run physical. And I feel like when I do things like that, I get our team really amped up.”
Against Arizona, the Ducks held possession for only 25:14, but efficiently completed seven touchdown drives lasting less than three minutes. James slashed through the Wildcat defense easily time after time and created a formidable one-two punch with his dynamic backfield mate Kenjon Barner. Oregon was happy to have Barner back from injury and looking as dangerous as ever, meaning home-run threat De’Anthony Thomas was limited to one carry and one reception on the night.
Though it may seem odd to keep the shifty five-star recruit on the bench, it’s a luxury Oregon would love to reserve the rest of the season. Thomas provides an insurance policy for a running game that appears to be on pace to rack up a wealth of carries and yardage as the Pac-12 regular season grinds on.
“We’re 1-0 in league,” Barner said to The Register-Guard. “That’s pretty much all that matters.”
Oregon’s conference opener against Arizona offered the Ducks their first chance to make a national statement since the team’s crushing, season-opening loss to then-No.4 LSU. With the Tigers sitting atop the polls and the Ducks looking top-notch in their first Pac-12 game, Oregon’s hopes of a BCS appearance seem to be growing larger by the day. A diverse running attack continues to be the Ducks’ greatest weapon as they aim to claim the first Pac-12 North crown this season.