North Carolina WR Josh Downs to miss 2nd straight game with injury

North Carolina will be without its top player again for the second straight week.

Tar Heels wide receiver Josh Downs will not play at Georgia State in Saturday's Week 2 action with a lower body injury, according to reports.

This marks the second straight game that Downs will not play for the Tar Heels, as he also missed last weekend's opener at Appalachian State.

Josh Downs injury update

It is believed to be the same issue from the Week 0 opener when Downs was seen nursing his knee after scoring a touchdown. He was spotted with a bag of ice on the knee after the game.

Downs was North Carolina's leading receiver last season and one of the most productive in college football, catching 101 passes for 1,335 yards and eight touchdowns with an average of 13.0 yards per reception.

He caught nine passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns from quarterback Drake Maye in North Carolina's Week 0 victory over Florida A&M.

Where North Carolina goes now

Not having Downs on the field is a negative for the Tar Heels, but Maye shouldn't want for targets in Downs' absence.

Maye connected on 24 of 36 passes for 352 yards and four touchdowns in last week's 63-31 win at Appalachian State.

Kobe Paysour led UNC's receivers with 8 catches for 92 yards and a score while J.J. Jones, Bryson Nesbit, and D.J. Jones all caught touchdowns.

In all, Maye threw passes to 8 different receivers in the game while Carolina added 215 yards on the ground and 3 additional scores: by Maye, Omarion Hampton, and George Pettaway. 

(h/t ESPN)