Oregon Star LaMichael James Dislocates Elbow, X-Rays Negative

At this point last year, Oregon was beginning to become my nemesis. No matter what they did, no matter how good they looked, their Football Outsiders ratings lagged. Was it because the effects of one of their primary weapons -- pace -- was not really accounted for in a per-play measure? Were they a victim of the marginalization of garbage time numbers (they had the tendency to slowly pull away from lesser opponents, then score about nine touchdowns once the game was out of the reach of close-game stats)? Was their schedule just that weak?

Oregon ended up coming within three points of winning the national title last year despite iffy opponent-adjusted stats. This year, their advanced stats are ... better?

But how are Oregon fans coping? Let’s check in with Oregon blog Addicted To Quack’s postgame thread:

Also, Oregon fans call James “Fatty.”

The video snippets from his interview below are quite the sight.

It seems almost unfathomable that James will be back quickly, but he contended that his injury is nowhere near season-ending, and that he didn’t break any bones. It seems to be a case where the injury looked significantly worse than it actually was.

The diagnosis is a dislocated elbow, according to James. He said he popped the elbow back into place as he laid on the turf, then was carted off for x-rays to survey the damage. Those x-rays were negative, according to James, and “nothing is broken.”

The injury is a familiar one to James; he suffered the same dislocation in high school. Back then, he returned to action just a week later, and he expects to do the same this time around. He said it’s painful, but he just wants to be out there for his team. And if he’s not going to further damage his elbow by playing, one would expect him to be back on the field as soon as doctors allow.

James’ arm was immobilized in a sizable air cast as trainers attended to him for a significant amount of time on the field. He was then place on a cart and driven off the field, all the while appearing to be in serious pain. James was taken straight from the field to the nearby athletic department building, not the locker room. It’s unclear what the extent of his injuries are at present.

James’ arm bent at an angle it’s not supposed to. As it stands, it’s a right elbow injury that looks pretty serious. James was having another great game, his third 200+ yard rushing game in a row, with 30 carries for 239 yards and a touchdown. He left the field on a cart with his arm in an air cast.