A clerical error is preventing University of Hawai'i backup quarterback Brent Rausch from being declared eligible to play in Friday's nationally televised road game against 15th-ranked Boise State.

"I feel sorry for Brent," UH head coach Greg McMackin said. "It's not his fault."

The problem stems from an eligibility form Rausch filled out Aug. 2 during the orientation session for first-year Warriors.

Rausch inadvertently put in the wrong code on one of boxes on the form.

The mistake was not detected until last week. Faculty representative Peter Nicholson notified McMackin the day before the past Saturday's game against Louisiana Tech.

Rausch, who is the No. 3 quarterback behind Inoke Funaki and Greg Alexander, was withheld from the Louisiana Tech game while Nicholson tried to get the mistake corrected with the NCAA.

Despite the support of the Western Athletic Conference, of which UH is a member, the NCAA had not ruled on the matter today. A half-hour before the Warriors were to board a bus to the airport this morning, Nicholson told McMackin he would not allow Rausch to go to Boise.

The uncertainty had caused the Warriors to scramble to prepare for Friday's game. Jake Santos took the reps that would have gone to Rausch.

McMackin said Santos will replace Rausch on the travel roster.

McMackin said he is hopeful Rausch will be cleared to play against Nevada next week.