CFB notebook: Boise State loses two defenders for the season

Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin confirmed this week that defensive tackle David Moa and safety DeAndre Pierce will not play again this season because of injuries. A calf injury has plagued Moa much of the season. He missed the first two games of the season because of a that problem and then missed two of the next three games because of the same injury. Moa started 24 games the past two seasons. He was a first-team All-Mountain West selection in 2016, and was named to the second-team all-conference squad last season. Pierce suffered a lacerated spleen in the Sept. 29 win over Wyoming and missed last Saturday's loss to San Diego State as result. Before the injury Pierce was leading the Broncos in tackles with 23. --Tennessee safety Trevon Flowers will be sidelined for a few weeks with a broken collarbone, coach Jeremy Pruitt said. Per Pruitt, Flowers was injured while diving for an interception during practice last week. Flowers started Tennessee's season-opening loss to West Virginia. He has nine tackles this season. --Running back Greg Bell, who started three games for Nebraska this season, requested and was granted his release for the purpose of transferring. One thing unusual about the letter granting him his release is that he is not allowed to transfer to Oregon State. On Monday night, Bell announced his decision to leave via Twitter, and he included a copy of his release letter. Included among the schools denied permission to talk to Bell about a possible transfer were all Big Ten school, all the nonconference teams Nebraska will face in the next three years, and Oregon State. Fifteen players, including Bell, have left Nebraska since Scott Frost took over, and three of them have transferred to Oregon State -- quarterback Tristan Gebbia, wide receiver Tyjon Lindsey and linebacker Avery Roberts. Former Nebraska linebackers coach Trent Bray is now linebackers coach at Oregon State, and Mike Riley, who was the Cornhuskers' head coach last season, is listed on the Oregon State staff as a football analyst. Bell rushed for 173 yards in five games for the 0-5 Cornhuskers this season, and he ran for 104 yards in the loss to Colorado. --Quarterback Michael Scarnecchia made quite an impression in his first career start last week, when he led South Carolina to a 37-35 victory over Missouri. However, South Carolina coach Will Muschamp said Jake Bentley, who missed last week's game with a sprained knee, will start against Texas A&M this week, if he is healthy enough. The assumption is that Bentley will be healthy enough since he was a full participant in Tuesday's practice. Scarnecchia, a fifth-year senior, completed 20 of 35 passes for 249 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions against Missouri despite heavy rainfall. Bentley has completed 64 percent of his passes for 928 yards, seven touchdowns and six interceptions.