Why Fox Sports college football analysts think BYU will be so successful in 2024 | News, sports, jobs

Fox Sports college football analysts Brady Quinn, Mark Ingram II and Rob Stone had just the right thing to say when they spoke to reporters Friday about their arrival in Provo for Saturday's “Big Noon Kickoff” show.

They love the beautiful setting, are looking forward to a great atmosphere and invite everyone to join the party in the parking lot west of LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday morning before BYU takes on Arizona in the afternoon (2 p.m. MT, Fox).

“We need BYU and Provo to step up for us,” Ingram said. “Big Noon is the best college football party in the country. We have fun. We celebrate the football game. We hope all of Provo, all of BYU Nation comes out.”

While shows like Big Noon Kickoff like to visit venues across the country, the reality is that it often takes a certain amount of success to get their attention. The national commentators said BYU deserved it with what it did on the field in 2024.

“That’s one of the things that makes college football special,” Quinn said. “I don’t want to be quick to say this, but I think back to how TCU enjoyed their season (in 2022) and how that created the momentum that built after no one picked them to come anywhere close to the top to get to the Big 12. When I look at it, I think part of what makes college football great is stories like this.”

Stone said he's “a fan of underdogs” and that's why he loves seeing the Cougars start undefeated.

“I think BYU and the Big 12 are inherent underdogs in the college football pecking order,” Stone said. “To see a team that was ranked 13th in the Big 12 in the preseason move up to 14th nationally is great and should be honored. They deserve it and on Saturday they will have a big stage to further push that narrative.”

Stone credits the underdog mentality with helping the Cougars post one of the best resumes in the game through the first six weeks.

“I think sometimes you use that lack of respect as motivation,” Stone said. “I think (BYU head coach Kalani Sitake) knew how good this team was. His approach was that there was no problem if people wanted to tone down our story.

“It’s a narrative that’s easy to get going. Nobody believes in us. If you believe in yourself, look at the things we can do. I think we all knew going into the season that the Big 12 was wide open, so why not BYU?”

Ingram said he feels the Cougars are a team that has a “great identity.”

“They play strong defense,” Ingram said. “On special teams and on offense, they get it done. They are simply a very well-coordinated team and obviously extremely well trained. I think that’s why they are undefeated and have turned things around compared to last year.”

He grinned as he talked about how much he enjoys such surprise stories.

“I think that’s why we love college football,” Ingram said. “Especially in this day and age, you never know who is going to show up and show themselves. And that’s exactly what BYU did. Now they have a real chance to qualify for the Big 12 and secure the automatic berth (in the College Football Playoff). This is exciting.”

Both Quinn and Stone took a moment to look at the bigger picture and where a team like BYU fits into the modern world of college football.

“It’s definitely a rarity,” Stone said. “That's an outlier, especially when you're talking about the top level of athletics where there's so much transfer portal and zero.

“People may not understand the Polynesian pipeline that exists here in the Beehive State. They don't understand what a mission is. And then of course combine that with elite athletics, not just at the football level but in basketball and other sports. For me it is a very unique outlier that should be preserved.”

Quinn said he appreciates institutions like BYU that represent more than just sports.

“That’s what they stand for,” Quinn said. “It’s a spirituality or a feeling of faith. Obviously I'm kind of close to it because I have a connection to Notre Dame and I know where everything is going.

“For me, that’s a reason to cheer for them because it’s not just about football. It's about the conclusion. It's about the academic part of it. It’s about faith or the spiritual part of it.”

He believes these things are important and make a big difference during the formative years of college.

“That’s what separates college football from the NFL, and that’s true for a lot of these young guys,” Quinn said. “It’s that time in their life where they grow and develop and mature into something. When you talk about college football at BYU and Notre Dame and TCU and Baylor, all of those things are kind of mixed together when you talk about some of the other places where you say a prayer before a sporting event. It kind of makes you think about what this is really about.”