SPEARFISH - The Black Hills State University Yellow Jackets will have to defend their 2006 Dakota Athletic Conference football championship without their senior field general.

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics ruled Monday that Erik Osborne of Ft. Collins, Colo., had reached the maximum number of full-time academic semesters (10) allowable under the NAIA's player eligibility rules.

Osborne, a first-team DAC offensive team selection who transferred from Chadron (Neb.) State at the end of his sophomore year, was set to play his final season this fall.

But head coach John Scott, checking player eligibility just days before the beginning of fall camp, discovered the Osborne had inadvertently used up his final semester of eligibility last spring.

"He took one too many hours," said Scott. "If he had taken 11 hours of classes last spring, it wouldn't have been considered a full-time semester. He took 12 hours by mistake.

"This has resurfaced a little frustration and anger for everyone involved, including Erik and his parents, for something that was avoidable but overlooked," Scott said.

"He's such an outstanding student, I didn't even think about semesters," Scott said.

Osborne led the Jackets to an 8-3 mark and the DAC title last season.

Osborne threw for 1,502 yards and 14 touchdowns, averaging 136.5 yards per game. He completed 132 of 227 pass attempts, with six interceptions.

Scott had reported the infraction to the league and the NAIA and filed a petition asking the NAIA to allow Osborne to play.

Osborne had been taking some snaps and working out with the team while awaiting a ruling on his eligibility.

Scott said Osborne will now serve as a student coach mentoring true freshman Drew Hodgs of Douglas, Wyo.

"That's a role he's been really doing through two-a-days, because we found out about this about six days before camp began," Scott said.

"He knew this was a possible outcome, and his attitude has just been awesome," Scott said of Osborne. "We were just hoping for an overturn that would look at his personal situation rather than just the book.

"He reeled from this, there's no doubt, but the way he's conducted himself through this process shows what kind of young man he is and the job that his parents did in raising him," Scott said.

Scott said Hodgs will get the nod to start the Jackets' season opener Saturday in Helena, Mont., against 4-time NAIA national champion Carroll College.

Hodgs, 6-0, 185 pounds, threw for 3,200 yards and 33 touchdowns his last two years at Douglas High School.

He received a first-team, all-state nod and was named to the Casper Star-Tribune's Super 25 team. He also played in the Wyoming Shrine Bowl All-Star game in June.

"Drew has taken probably 75 percent of the reps during practice and has really picked things up well," Scott said.

"We thought we were getting a pretty special kid to groom as a backup, but he's accepted this challenge and we're really pleased with the progress he's made."

Senior defensive safety Tanner Tetrault, who played his prep years in Spearfish, is also capable of taking some snaps for the Yellow Jackets, Scott said.

"He can be an emergency quarterback who can bring us some real seasoned maturity and has been out there," Scott said. "Although he hasn't played quarterback in a few years, he's got a real grasp of what to do should he be called on."

Scott said the Jackets are looking forward despite the setback involving Osborne.

"We're not going into this season making any excuses," he said.