Colorado v Oregon

Oregon wide receiver Darren Carrington celebrates a touchdown against Colorado in September. Carrington is accused is pushing and injuring a man in late October.

(Steve Dykes/Getty Images)

EUGENE -- Oregon Ducks star receiver Darren Carrington shoved a man, breaking his arm, just hours after UO's October home game against Arizona State, the man said.

Mike Holland told The Oregonian/OregonLive that Carrington pushed him off a curb and into the street early on Oct. 30. Holland and three witnesses with him at the time called it an unprovoked attack, which may have been a case of mistaken identity.

Through a UO athletics spokesman, Carrington declined an opportunity to respond to the allegations. Through another UO athletics spokesman, coach Mark Helfrich said the team was "aware of the incident" and that undisclosed discipline has been handled internally.

Holland, 22, a 2016 UO business school graduate who now lives in Austin, Texas, said he was visiting Eugene to watch the Arizona State game with friends. About 2 a.m. on Oct. 30, near campus, Holland said Carrington approached his group and, unprovoked, shoved him off a curb into the street, where he broke his arm in the fall.

He went to Sacred Heart Medical Center for treatment and reported the incident to police that morning. Holland and two of the three witnesses who spoke with The Oregonian/OregonLive said they also talked to a Eugene police detective investigating the case.

Eugene police would not comment or release the report because the investigation remained open, according to a police spokeswoman.

Holland spoke to The Oregonian/OregonLive on the record about the incident, while the three witnesses who corroborated his story asked that their names not be used.

"All I want is some kind of accountability," Holland said.

Carrington, a usual starter, did not play the first two series against USC on Nov. 5, Oregon's next game after Holland said he reported the incident to police. Helfrich, asked after the game if there was any reason why the star sat out, said no. Carrington played but did not start in last Saturday's home loss to Stanford. A redshirt junior, he will be eligible to forgo his final season and declare for the NFL draft.

Holland said the incident occurred after his group was walking through the parking lot near UO's Prince Lucien Campbell Hall on their way home from Rennie's, a popular off-campus bar.

Holland said they saw a commotion involving several football players in the parking lot near Prince Lucien Campbell but did not engage with anyone from that group before continuing to walk. Holland said he had a drink earlier in the evening but was not intoxicated at the time.

They were a few blocks from the parking lot, at an apartment complex on Alder Street between 14th and 15th avenues, when Carrington and an unidentified companion approached them after 2 a.m., Holland and the witnesses said.

They said Carrington was wearing face paint as part of a Halloween costume, which matches photos from that night posted on his Instagram account and a Snapchat video that Holland said he shot earlier that night and sent to police. Holland and his friends, none of whom know Carrington personally, each said they "instantly recognized" the junior receiver.

They said Carrington yelled at the group that he'd "heard what you said about me" from a car. Holland said the group did not have a car that night and believes that Carrington confused Holland or his group with someone else.

"Before I had even time to process what was going on fully, I was pushed at full force, kind of like you would to a bench press, from Carrington," Holland said. "As I was breaking my fall on the asphalt with my right hand, I landed pretty forcefully. That's when I broke my arm."

They said they saw a shoulder-width tattoo of Carrington's last name on his back, because he was shirtless. After the alleged shove, Holland and witnesses also said Carrington began yelling at the group as they began walking to the hospital, saying, "'I'm Darren Carrington, No. 7, wide receiver for the Ducks, that's right, Darren Carrington, San Diego, California,'" Holland said.

Holland said his father sent an email Nov. 10 to UO president Michael Schill and athletic director Rob Mullens about the incident. Citing student privacy laws, a UO spokesman said he could not share whether any student conduct investigation into the alleged incident was open.

"I don't think that this behavior should be allowed to just go completely unpunished," Holland said.

After a breakout 2014 season, Carrington was forced to miss UO's appearance in that season's College Football Playoff national championship game for failing an NCAA-run drug test. He also was ineligible for half of the following season. In October 2015, while serving his suspension, he was cited by Eugene police for having an open container of alcohol while underage.

The same morning Holland says he was attacked near Prince Lucien Campbell Hall, a woman accused UO defender Eddie Heard of punching her in the face outside of Taylor's Bar and Grill, which is nearby. Heard was arrested days later on Nov. 2, and charged with fourth-degree assault. Heard was suspended from all team activities the following day.

Oregon also is without defender Torrodney Prevot, who was suspended in August after being accused of assault by a female and former UO student-athlete. Defensive lineman Austin Maloata was dismissed from the program Sunday, hours after being arrested for reckless driving, DUII and possession of methamphetamine.

-- Andrew Greif

agreif@oregonian.com

@andrewgreif