After climbing another spot in the national rankings following its 52-31 win over then-No. 9 Stanford, the No. 3 Oregon football team saw two of its players honored for their strong week-five performances.
Sophomore running back LaMichael James (offense) and sophomore defensive back Cliff Harris (defense) were each honored as the Pac-10 Conference Players of the Week on Monday.
James ran for a career-best 257 yards and three touchdowns against the Cardinal, while Harris reeled in two interceptions and five tackles after fumbling a kickoff return in the first quarter.
The award was Harris’ second of the season after being honored as the conference’s special teams player of the week following Oregon’s 72-0 win over New Mexico.
With an average of 178 rushing yards per games this season, James leads the Pac-10 and ranks second in the country in the running back category. For his efforts on Saturday, James was also named the national offensive player of the week by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, as well as the national running back performer of the week by the College Football Performance Awards for the second time this season.
With his career rushing total now at 2,258 yards, James bumped former Oregon great Onterrio Smith (2,199 yards) out of the Ducks’ top-10 career list. James now sits alone in eighth place.
Rallying behind James’ strong start to the 2010 season, Oregon currently ranks first in the nation in scoring offense (56.6 points per game), total offense (569.2 yards per game), turnover margin (+2.20 per game) and fewest sacks allowed (0.20 per game).
Also ranked in the top five nationally is the Ducks’ second-ranked rushing offense (331.0 yards per game), fourth-ranked passing efficiency defense (95.13) and fifth-ranked punt return average (20.1).
Oregon has now taken home five Pac-10 player of the week awards this season. Sophomore running back Kenjon Barner (offense) earned the award following his five-touchdown performance in the season-opening win over New Mexico. Sophomore punter Jackson Rice (special teams) was then selected after the Ducks’ second week victory at Tennessee after pinning four punts inside the Volunteer 20-yard line.
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