Pierce Out for Season

Stanford starting tight end Brett Pierce will miss the rest of the season because of a knee injury.

Pierce, a junior who has started 13 straight games, tore his left anterior cruciate ligament in the first quarter of the Cardinal’s opening 34-27 loss at Boston College on Saturday.

Pierce caught 19 passes last season for 258 yards and three touchdowns and was considered among the top tight ends in the Pacific 10 Conference. He will have one more year of eligibility.

Sophomore Alex Smith will become the starting tight end.

*

Utah running back Marty Johnson, the nation’s leading rusher with a 202.5-yard average, will be sidelined at least four weeks because of a sprained right knee.

Johnson, who had 229 yards in Utah’s 40-13 victory over Indiana on Saturday, was hurt in his first carry of the fourth quarter.