LaMichael James came to the rescue of Oregon after starting running back LeGarrette Blount punched Boise State's Byron Hout in Week 1 and thus left the Ducks without an established backfield threat to start the 2009 season. James more than fit the bill, rushing for 1,546 yards and 14 TDs in an outstanding redshirt freshman season.
He has now been arrested for domestic violence, including the alarming charge of "strangulation," placing his playing future at Oregon in jeopardy and potentially leaving the Ducks without a vital part of their potent spread offense. Oregon has made no official statement about James, whose case is the latest in a tumultuous offseason of legal troubles for Ducks football players.