McCoy leads the Cardinals with 513 receiving yards and four touchdown catches, averaging more than 20 yards per reception.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB+WAVE) — Louisville will be without its leading receiver Saturday when the Cardinals return from their bye week to face Stanford at L&N Stadium.
Lawayne McCoy, who has emerged as one of the nation’s more dangerous big-play receivers, was listed as out on the Atlantic Coast Conference’s initial availability report Wednesday night.
McCoy, a junior transfer from Florida State, leads Louisville with 513 receiving yards and four touchdown catches on 25 receptions. His average of 20.5 yards per catch has made him a particularly valuable weapon in an offense that leads the nation in plays of 40 yards or longer.
Eight of McCoy’s 25 receptions have gained at least 25 yards, and 14 have gone for 15 yards or more.
He has been productive from the beginning of the season, catching a 54-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of Louisville’s 41-38 season-opening loss to Ole Miss.
He followed that with a 61-yard touchdown reception against Villanova and scoring catches of 33 yards against SMU and NC State.
In Louisville’s most recent game, a 34-26 victory at Syracuse on Oct. 17, McCoy led the Cardinals with five catches for 93 yards, including a 40-yard reception and a 23-yard gain that helped set up a fourth-quarter touchdown.
His absence leaves quarterback Lincoln Kienholz without one of his favorite downfield targets.
Louisville still has considerable receiving talent, including Tre Richardson, who leads the team with 30 receptions, and TreyShun Hurry, who has caught 28 passes for 337 yards. Tight end Jaleel Skinner has added 275 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
McCoy’s absence is particularly significant because of his ability to stretch the field. Louisville has produced 52 offensive plays of 20 yards or longer through seven games, and McCoy has accounted for more than a quarter of them with his receptions alone.
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound receiver played his first two college seasons at Florida State, where he caught 33 passes for 448 yards and three touchdowns. He has already surpassed those career receiving totals in seven games at Louisville.
The availability report did not specify the nature of McCoy’s injury or how long he might be sidelined.
Louisville (4-3, 3-2 ACC) has won two straight games entering Saturday’s 3:15 p.m. kickoff against Stanford (4-4, 2-3). The game will be televised by ACC Network.