Oregon Ducks' Jordan James Suffered Head Injury In Rose Bowl Loss To Ohio State

During the Oregon Ducks' 41-21 loss to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, Oregon running back Jordan James sustained a head injury in the first quarter that knocked him out of the game.

Nov 30, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Jordan James (20) warms up before a game against the Washington Huskies at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks saw their season end vs. the Ohio State Buckeyes in a 41-21 loss in the Rose Bowl during the College Football playoff quarterfinals. During the defeat, the Ducks saw one of their star players go down with injury and not return.

Oregon running back Jordan James was knocked out of the game in the first half of the Ducks' loss to Ohio State. After the game, James confirmed to Oregon Ducks on SI that he suffered a head injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the game.

Oregon running back Noah Whittington carries the ball before the game as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in the quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

James went down early in the second quarter after getting met at the line on a second down rush attempt. The Ducks were down 17-0 at the time James was knocked out of the game. His backup, Noah Whittington filled in admirably, but was limited by the stout Ohio State rush defense.

The Oregon rush attack, which is usually one of the best in the country, was held to -23 yards on the ground when taking into consideration the loss of yards coming via sack. The Ducks had 20 rushing yards when sacks are excluded. That is easily the lowest total Oregon has had all season long.

Whittington had six carries for a measly three yards and one touchdown as he couldn't find anything going against Ohio State's front seven.

The Buckeyes had 13 tackles for loss as they completely dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.

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Oregon running back Jordan James carries the ball during warmups as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in the quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When he exited the game, James had seven carries for 14 yards. It was one of the worst performances of his career as the starting running back for the Ducks.

The lack of having a viable rush attack hampered the Ducks offense. When Oregon defeated Ohio State during the regular season, James had 23 carries for 115 yards and one touchdown as he played a vital role in the 32-31 win at Autzen Stadium.

Oregon running back Jayden Limar had a few carries in lieu of James' absence. He finished with 2 carries for four yards. In what was his worst rushing game of the season, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel had 12 carries for -43 yards as he couldn't get anything going.

In the first matchup vs. Ohio State, Gabriel ran only four times for 32 yards and a touchdown. The Ducks as a whole ran for 155 yards the first time around.

Oregon was also without wide receiver Evan Stewart, who didn't play in the Rose Bowl after suffering an injury before the game. Stewart explained after the loss that he suffered a lower back injury in practice after the Big Ten Championship continued to linger and ultimately led to his absence.

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