Winning is always better than losing, there is no doubt about that; however, what a team can gain from a loss is nearly better than beating a team by 74 points, especially at the beginning of a season.

What we’ve learned

1. We can score quickly

While the Eagles lit up the scoreboard two weeks ago against Savannah State, many wondered if they would be able to duplicate against a more competitive team. That question was answered in the third quarter last weekend when the team put up 20 points in less than 11 minutes. With a mix of run and pass plays, the spread option allows the team to move the ball at any pace: slowly and steadily or quickly and efficiently. If this can be duplicated in the first half of games for the rest of the season the Eagles will have a good chance of taking home a conference championship.

2. We can play from behind, on the road

Playing from behind takes guts. The Eagles showed that they not only have the guts, but also the discipline and the determination to play from behind and battle back. Going into halftime down by 25 points and coming out to score four unanswered touchdowns took a level of tenacity that the team needed to build confidence heading forward. Looking down the schedule there are very few teams that will be able to build up such a substantial lead on Georgia Southern, but the fans and players can have the confidence now, knowing GSU is fully capable of performing a miraculous comeback.

3. We have two athletic, capable quarterbacks

Finding one talented quarterback that has the ability to take the reins and lead the offense down the field is a blessing, but having two is nearly a miracle. Head Coach Willie Fritz showed that we have quite the pair of athletes between sophomores Kevin Ellison and Favian Upshaw. With Ellison throwing 68 yard bombs and Upshaw picking up first downs through the air and on the ground, the future of the Eagles looks bright.

4. We can pass

It has been a long time since a Georgia Southern football team has put up 245 yards through the air. Between the two quarterbacks there were 22 passes thrown with 13 receptions putting them at a little over 50 percent on the night. Many of these passes came on key third and long situations to keep scoring drives alive. Senior receiver Zach Walker brought down five of the passes last Saturday with four resulting in first downs. Even our ground weapon Matthew Brieda has shown he can be utilized after pulling down three passes for over 50 yards. While our offense is built to grind the ball on the ground, it is comforting to know that Ellison or Upshaw can air the ball out to get keep drives going toward the endzone.