Louisville Receiver Lawayne McCoy Out vs. Stanford
The Cardinals lose their leading yardage getter to an unspecified injury, leaving quarterback Lincoln Kienholz without his primary deep threat for Saturday's ACC matchup.
By Amanda Delgado ·
Lawayne McCoy will not play for Louisville on Saturday.
The junior transfer is the Cardinals' top receiver, and his absence comes just hours before the team faces Stanford. The Atlantic Coast Conference released its initial availability report Wednesday night, listing McCoy as out for the 3:15 p.m. kickoff at L&N Stadium. The report did not detail the specific injury or provide a timeline for his return.
McCoy leads Louisville with 513 receiving yards on 25 catches. He has four touchdowns this season and averages 20.5 yards per reception. His presence has been a defining feature of the offense, which currently leads the nation in plays of 40 yards or longer. Eight of his catches have gained at least 25 yards, and 14 have gone for 15 or more. In the team's last game against Syracuse on Oct. 17, McCoy posted a team-high 93 yards on five receptions.
The loss of McCoy leaves quarterback Lincoln Kienholz without a key downfield option. The offense has generated 52 plays of 20 yards or longer through seven games. McCoy's receptions account for more than a quarter of those long gains. His ability to stretch the field has been a central part of Louisville's strategy since he arrived from Florida State.
Louisville still has other options at the skill positions. Tre Richardson leads the team with 30 receptions. TreyShun Hurry has caught 28 passes for 337 yards. Tight end Jaleel Skinner has added 275 receiving yards and three touchdowns. However, no other player on the roster matches McCoy's big-play average or his total yardage.
McCoy played his first two college seasons at Florida State, where he recorded 33 receptions for 448 yards and three touchdowns. He surpassed those career totals in just seven games at Louisville. His production began with a 54-yard touchdown in the season opener against Ole Miss, followed by a 61-yard score against Villanova. He also scored on 33-yard and 33-yard catches against SMU and NC State, respectively.
Louisville enters Saturday with a 4-3 record and a 3-2 mark in conference play. The Cardinals have won their last two games. They face a Stanford team that holds a 4-4 overall record and is 2-3 in the ACC. The game will be televised by ACC Network.
Source: WDRB
