College football upsets are few and far between but an analyst believes that Howard University can upset Eastern Michigan in their season opener this Friday. Stats Perform FCS senior editor Craig Hayley published his list of games to watch that could result in an upset win for an FCS team. He ranked Howards's matchup with the Eagles third on his list.

Howard isn't a stranger to upset wins over FBS competition. The Bison, led by Caylin Newton, pulled off one of the biggest upsets in history when they beat UNLV 43-30 on September 3, 2017. Howard was a 45-point underdog and their win led to the largest spread in the history of college football. Howard unseated Stanford's 2007 upset of USC, led by Jim Harbaugh,  as the largest spread upset. So, Howard has pulled off a FBS upset in the history of the program. Is it possible this year?

Eastern Michigan ended last season 9-4 overall and 5-3 in the MAC. The Eagles, however, weren't great at defending against the pass. The team allowed 220.9 passing yards per game and 23 passing touchdowns, which is an explanation for them allowing 28 points per game and being involved in five close games that were within a touchdown or field goal. The Eagles beat the University of Massachusetts 20-13, Ball State 20-16, Akron 34-28 and Kent State 31-24 but lost to Toledo 27-24.

Howard was an adept passing team last season, with the team averaging 207 passing yards a game and scoring 25 passing touchdowns. If the Bison sustain a healthy passing attack during the game and score when given the opportunity, great things can happen. Also of note, defensive back Kenny Gallop Jr. and offensive lineman Anim Dankwah have an opportunity to improve their draft stock. Both players are on the radar of NFL scouts and a productive game against a winning FBS program could improve their chances of playing at the next level.

The Bison and the Eagles face off to open the season on Friday, September 1st at 7:30 PM EST. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.