Nevada football hosts Georgia Southern on Saturday. Nevada Sports Net’s Chris Murray analyzes the game against the Eagles with his three keys to victory and prediction. This post is presented in collaboration with Bradley, Drendel and Jeanney.

Georgia Southern (0-1) at Nevada (1-1)

When: Saturday, 4 p.m.

Where: Mackay Stadium (capacity 27,000)

Surface: FieldLawn

Weather: High 90; Low 60

Television/Radio: TruTV/105.7 FM (also on Varsity Network)

On-line: Max

Betting offer: Georgia Southern with 1; total 59

All series: Georgia Southern leads 2-0

Last duel: Georgia Southern won 36-13 on December 15, 1990 (FCS title game)

Three keys to the game

1. Lock up the French: Georgia Southern QB JC French found his rhythm in the second half last week against Boise State, his first FBS start. The former Memphis Tiger threw for 322 yards and led the Eagles with 39 rushing yards in the season opener against the Broncos. He accounted for three touchdowns and is a threat with his legs and arm. Nevada didn’t take great advantage of Troy QB Goose Crowder coming out of the pocket last week, and French is an even more dynamic runner. This is the Wolf Pack’s first game against a pass-first team, with the Eagles throwing the ball 44 times per game last season and 50 times in the opener. Of course, the secondary has to be strong, but we’re looking at the defensive line, which has only recorded one sack in two games. That line has to make French uncomfortable in the pocket, but also catch him when a play breaks down, because that’s his biggest strength.

2. Over 200 rushing yards: Nevada doesn’t want a pass-for-pass matchup against Georgia Southern, which scored 45 points against Boise State (and still lost by double digits). The Eagles lost the game because their defense was awful, which is surprising considering Georgia Southern had four All-Sun Belt defenders in the preseason, including three on the first team. The biggest problem was the run defense, which allowed 371 yards and seven touchdowns to Boise State. That was a problem last season, too, when the Eagles allowed 161.4 rushing yards per game on an average of 4.6 yards per carry. Georgia Southern has all four starters back on the defensive line, but this group might just be bad in the run game. And Nevada needs to take advantage of that. After they hit the 200-yard mark for the first time in 27 games in last week’s win at Troy, we’re setting our goal again at 200 run yards this week. If Nevada runs the ball effectively, the number of possessions should drop and the game may not become the high-scoring shootout that Georgia Southern craves.

3. Red Zone touchdowns: The score total for this game is 59 points, so there should be plenty of points. And whichever team manages to score more touchdowns than field goals in the red zone will have the upper hand. This has been a strength for both teams this season. Nevada has scored seven touchdowns in eight red zone appearances; Georgia Southern has scored six touchdowns in seven red zone appearances. Both teams have scored at least one field goal each time they have reached the red zone, but touchdowns are preferable and will likely be necessary for Nevada to defeat Georgia Southern. Wolf Pack QB Brendon Lewis has been good on big attempts, including third down attempts, with all four of his touchdown throws coming in the red zone. He will need to stay strong in that area this weekend.

forecast

Nevada 31, Georgia Southern 28: Nevada faces a Sun Belt opponent for the second straight year, but Georgia Southern has more talent than Troy. The Trojans had just three preseason all-conference picks, the Eagles have nine. Georgia Southern has a solid offensive line, especially on the left side, a good running back, speed at wide receiver and a capable quarterback, so Nevada’s defense will have to tackle better than it did last week. Georgia Southern, which had 14 plays of 10-plus yards in the season opener, should be able to move the ball and score points. But Nevada’s offense should take advantage of the Eagles defense, which was bad last season and even worse in their first game this year. Although Nevada is once again the underdog, I’m picking the Wolf Pack to win. Season review: 2:0 (outright); 2:0 (against the spread)

Columnist Chris Murray provides insight into Northern Nevada sports. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @ByChrisMurray.