(5%) GEORGIA SOUTHERN. Nevada is off a narrow win over an SBC opponent (Troy) last week. Now, however, they'll face a stronger and far more experienced team from that same conference. Admittedly, the Eagles' defense got lit up by Boise State last week. They're determined to show that they're much better than that. Keep in mind that this is an experienced defense with eight returning starters and a lot of depth. Coach Helton, now in his third year at Georgia Southern, entered the season suggesting that the Eagles could have top 25 defense. That may be a stretch but they are better than they showed against Boise. It'll help that they're stepping down in class and facing a Nevada offense which isn't nearly as good as the one they just faced. On the other side of the ball, there's plent of optimism. The Eagles had 27 first downs, 461 yards of offense and 45 points against the Broncos. Interceptions hurt the Eagles last year but new QB French had none (322 yards, 2 TDs) last week which was a very good sign. The Eagles opened as favorites for this game. I believe that they should still be and I expect them to bounce back with an important win.