What Charles Huff said before Memphis' game against UAB

Charles Huff opened his weekly press conference Tuesday with a scouting report on UAB and a plea for Memphis fans to show up Saturday.

Huff, who worked alongside UAB head coach Alex Mortensen on Nick Saban's staff at Alabama from 2019-20, called Mortensen "probably in my opinion one of the smartest, brightest offensive minds that I've had an opportunity to work with." He said the combination of Mortensen's scheme and Todd Grantham's defense has made UAB the most physical team Memphis will have faced this season.

"This will be the most physical game that we'll probably play up until this point," Huff said. "They run to the ball, they hit, they strike."

Memphis (4-1, 1-0 American) enters the game off a 59-8 win at Charlotte. UAB (3-2, 1-0 American) is riding consecutive wins behind a defense that has shut out opponents in the fourth quarter in four straight games. Huff called on every fan in Memphis to be at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium for the Battle for the Bones, which Memphis lost for the first time since 2011 last season.

"I want to make sure that every single human being in the 901 understands that we need them at the game this weekend," Huff said. "Drop everything and run to Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium fast, please."

Huff also detailed the defensive improvement from his team's loss at Boise State, walked through his approach to developing quarterback Marcus Stokes and told the story of tight end Hunter Tipton's emergence as an NFL prospect.

Full transcript

Opening statement — Charlotte recap:

Coach Huff: "One, appreciate you guys being here. To recap the last game, extremely appreciative of the players, the coaches, the staff, the ability to adjust, respond and go execute at a really high level. Appreciative of UNCC for adjusting game times to try to manage the uncontrollable as best as possible.

"Watching the film, obviously we did a lot of really good things on all three phases. Really proud of the players, their ability to continue to improve and execute as the game went on. Really proud of the guys who don't play as much who got in and were able to continue to execute at a high level.

"Obviously still areas that we need to improve. The things that we were able to identify that maybe didn't catch up to us in that game or in that scenario, we were able to kind of point out and address. There are still some areas where we got to improve fast because we're having some repeat issues. We are closer to fixing those issues, but we're not there yet.

"Really appreciative of the players' ability to be coached, right? Sometimes when you have that type of result or score, you get a little blind or tone-deaf to improvement, and they've accepted that. A lot of them came in ready with ideas of where they could be better. They are still hungry for more."

Fan appeal — Battle for the Bones:

Coach Huff: "Before we start, I want to make sure that every single human being in the 901 understands that we need them at the game this weekend. We need 901, Grind City, Shelby County, Memphis to truly stand up this weekend to help us achieve the goal of winning the Battle for the Bones.

"This is a huge opportunity, a huge moment for our community, our fans. We need our students to finish your homework early Friday so you can get plenty of rest so you can show up early and be loud and affect the game. We cannot win this game without you. We need to make sure that we make a national and a conference statement about what support and attendance looks like here in Memphis.

"Obviously, we're going to do our part to produce a beautiful game-day environment on and off the field. But we need everyone. Old, young, kids, nursing homes, grandparents, kids of kids of kids, alumni, donors, supporters, haters. Actually, come see how bad we are. I would rather you do that than stay home.

"With all seriousness, this is an opportunity for us going into the second conference game with an extremely competitive regional opponent to make a national statement, and that's where you move the needle. You move the needle with what does your conference attendance consistently look like? I know there's a lot going on this weekend here in Memphis, but at 6:00 on Saturday night, drop everything and run to Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium fast, please. We need you."

On UAB and Alex Mortensen:

Coach Huff: "We're going to play a challenging opponent. UAB — a lot of respect for Coach Mortensen. He and I worked together at the University of Alabama for two years, were part of winning a national championship. Probably in my opinion one of the smartest, brightest offensive minds that I've had an opportunity to work with.

"Being in the room with him and Steve Sarkisian and Jeff Banks and Kyle Flood and Holmon Wiggins, who's now the offensive coordinator at Texas A&M — the elite level of offensive prowess and knowledge that was shared in that room was beyond anything that I could imagine.

"A lot of respect for what Coach Mortensen has done as far as taking over a situation and creating a new culture and environment at UAB. His players are playing at a really high level. They're playing with a lot of confidence.

"I've also gone against Coach Todd Grantham, the defensive coordinator, in my time in the SEC, and you can tell by watching their defense that his fingerprints and his philosophy is working well. They are playing at a really high level.

"I think the combination between what Coach Mortensen is able to do schematically — attacking you, stressing you, attacking areas of deficiencies — along with the aggressive style of play that they play on defense is why they're having success.

"It's going to be a challenge for us. Each week's a different challenge. This will be the most physical game that we'll probably play up until this point. They run to the ball, they hit, they strike. They have unbelievable second-half energy and adjustment ability. I think they haven't been scored on in the second half in this conference or since the first game. Their numbers from an execution standpoint are really efficient.

"They've got some really talented players at all levels and all positions. Some guys that have been there in the past, some new guys that have added to the mix. So it's going to be a challenge.

"Our guys are excited about the opportunity. Our guys are excited to get back home. Our guys are excited to get back in front of our fans. And our guys are excited to compete with a regional opponent who's playing really good right now. This is what the American Conference is all about. Week in and week out, you got to show up, execute and battle. And that's what we'll have to do this weekend."

On the rivalry and what the trophy means:

Q: With the NIL transfer portal and all that, do players still understand the rivalry concept? You know, UAB has been a long-time rival with Memphis — or is that kind of something that's moved to the fans because they don't really have that?

Coach Huff: "We addressed it in the summer. I think the attachment now is maybe not so much of the bitter rivalry but how much it means to our fans. Our players truly believe if something is important to our fans, it needs to be important to us. This is one of those things. Obviously, they're aware of the rivalry, of the trophy, of the history. But they're more aware of the importance it means to our fans, right?

"We ask our fans to do so much to support us. This is an opportunity for us to give back to them, to give them something to hang on to for a year, or whatever the time is you get to keep the trophy.

"For us, it's more about us. And when I say us, the fans and the community are a part of that. Us being able to go out and play really well and execute at a high level is going to create a level of confidence and support and appreciation for our fans. And it allows us to stay on our journey.

"For us, it's about we got seven left. I know I kind of stand up here and I always say that, but I don't want these guys to miss the moment, right? And I don't want one game to be so much bigger than another game because they're all important at this point. But this one has a special awareness because it means so much to our fans."

On Jemyri Davis' touchdown celebration:

Q: On Jemyri Davis, what actually happened with JD?

Coach Huff: "Again, this is bigger than football. That young man has busted his tail. He's probably put more time catching balls at midnight, catching balls early in the morning. He parks illegally, so I always know when he's here — he's always here early. But the guy has been busting his tail and he just hadn't gotten into the end zone. So his frustration or his excitement was, 'I finally got into the end zone,' which is phenomenal.

"I didn't want to take away from that moment, but we don't ever want to disrespect the game. In that moment, the official probably could have thrown a flag for him spiking the ball. I think the officials understood it wasn't a gesture towards an opponent or whatever it was. But in that moment, the official was trying to explain to him, hey, just be careful. And his energy and his release of frustration didn't allow him to hear it, right?

"So I wanted to make sure — one, we respect the game. You score a touchdown, yes, it's great to be excited. You've done that before. But when we have officials or you have adults who are trying to teach you in moments, whether that's on the street corner, in class, a coach, whatever it is, we don't ever disrespect that.

"So I made sure I said, 'Hey, look, go apologize to him for walking away from him, not for spiking the ball. If you score a touchdown, spike the ball every time. I ain't worried about that.'

"But in the midst of it, we don't want to disrespect the game. We don't want to disrespect the officials of the game. And in that moment, I don't think JD — matter of fact, I know JD was not trying to disrespect the official. That moment was everything that kid's been through in his life. Obviously, in house, we know every ball that he's caught at midnight, every ball that he's caught at 6:00 in the morning, every ball that he's caught after practice.

"Sometimes in a game, you can't just dictate, 'OK, I'm going to go score a touchdown with Johnny right now.' And that kid has blocked his tail off on the perimeter. He's run good routes. He's caught balls in situations that maybe weren't the touchdown ball, but, you know, 'Hey, I'm catching the ball. I'm doing everything I can.' He's been a phenomenal teammate. He's been a phenomenal student.

"So in that moment, it was all of that which exploded into excitement, which is fine. But in that moment, I wanted to make sure — hey, don't let your excitement distract you or paint a bad picture of who you are because I know you're one of the most respectful kids on our team. I know you're one of the most loved — if you saw how many guys on the sideline were jumping up and down when he scored.

"I know all of that, but I didn't want the official or anybody else in the country to see or make up or believe something about that young man that was not. So I told him I appreciated the way he handled it. He came back afterwards like, 'Coach, I apologize.' Like, you ain't got to apologize, man. I love you. But I'm also going to make sure in moments where we can teach, that we teach."

On Hunter Tipton's development and NFL aspirations:

Q: You recruited him in the transfer portal, thinking he would be a good fit. Did you think he would be this good and this impactful right away?

Coach Huff: "I have high expectations for our guys. So when you say, 'Did I think he would be this good?' — I still think there's a higher ceiling for him.

"He and I had a conversation when he first got here. I sat down with every player. 'What do you want to accomplish out of this season, collectively as a team and individually?' Ninety-nine percent of them said, 'I want to play in the NFL.' OK, great. Now that's the standard that I got to hold you to.

"I said, 'As a tight end who's come in this year,' and I always tell the guys the truth: 'Some of you guys came in this year and you're not on the list. Like, the NFL does not know who you are. So do something. Do something to get on the list.'

"So I told Hunter, 'Here's the deal. You're coming into a situation where you're probably not on the list. Your production up until this point has been OK, but it hasn't been, quote unquote, NFL-worthy.' I said, 'So you've got to do something every time you touch the ball that puts yourself on the list or gives you a chance.' I said, 'You can't just catch the ball and fall down.' I say, 'I made a catch.' You got to jump over people. You got to do a cartwheel. You got to do a backflip.'

"I didn't know he was going to take it literally, meaning jump over people. But that's what you got to do. You know, sometimes your resume is not going to get to the top of the boss's desk. You got to show up in your suit without an interview and stand at the door, and when they say, 'What are you doing here?' — 'I'm here to interview for the job.' 'Well, you don't have an interview.' 'But my resume is on your desk, and I'm not going to leave here until you interview me.' And maybe they tell you to go home, but you got to come back tomorrow.

"So I told him, 'You've got to do something with the ball and without the ball.' One thing I think Hunter's doing a great job of is being active without the ball, because they watch it all. And I'm overly ecstatic because he took that to heart. He's doing something every chance he gets to give himself a chance.

"For me, that's what coaching is about, right? Trying to give these kids the keys to life — that just because maybe you're not on the list or you're not ranked on the Mackey Award list or you're not picked to win the conference or whatever, do something. Do something to get on the list in a positive manner.

"I think he's done a really good job of that. We talked after the game. I said, 'Stay humble and stay hungry because just because you're starting to get on the list don't mean you can't come back off.' And so I said everything, right? Taking care of your body, going to class, working harder — not necessarily as far as 'I'm going to catch 200 balls now,' but 'I'm going to catch 100 but I'm going to watch a little bit more film. I'm going to make sure my footwork is a little cleaner.'

"So couldn't be more proud of him and the success he's having because of the work he's put in."

On Marcus Stokes' growth:

Q: What areas have you seen him grow in the most from game one to now?

Coach Huff: "I think comfort level, right? When you talk about playing quarterback, he's never thrown the ball to any of those guys that he's throwing to. So it takes time. It takes time to know where a certain player runs a certain route, where a certain player breaks his route. You can draw on the board, 'Hey, you break at 12,' but everybody's body is different.

"I think the confidence and the comfort level that he's getting, not only with the system but with his teammates — I think we as a coaching staff kind of know what he does better. So we're able to put him in better situations, and we're able to explain the game plan differently, because we know how he learns, we know how he processes. I think there's still room for improvement. But I think what you're starting to see is a comfort level, which fits with what Coach Decker is doing.

"You know, the first game, second game, you guys thought we only threw the ball deep. 'We don't have any concepts. You got to get an intermediate passing game.' Well, he can't run everything the first game with 71 new players, right? Some of those things take time.

"I think what Coach Decker is doing is feeding Marcus what he's able to digest. We could have thrown it all at him in the first game, and maybe things don't go right and his confidence gets shook and it takes us a while to get him back. But we've been able to feed him what he can digest.

"He's done a phenomenal job of digesting what we're feeding him, because if you just go to practice in the meetings, you can't learn it all. They're out there every day at 9:00 with the receivers. They're throwing. They're back here after practice throwing. So he's done a good job. He's watching the film. He's asking the questions.

"I think it's just growth. We're seeing it at a larger clip because we've never seen him. I didn't get a chance to see Seth Henigan, but I'm sure Seth had some moments where he went from, like, not sure, to 'Oh, wow.' You know what I mean? So I think over time, with good development, with good teaching, with good encouragement and good people, players included, development is possible. And I think that's what we're seeing with Marcus."

On the Charlotte defense and the Boise State correction:

Q: Outside of the 75-yard run, are you satisfied with the defense?

Coach Huff: "I was actually satisfied after watching the 75-yard touchdown run. That's the same run that Boise hit us with. If you guys remember, we did not crack replace at all against Boise. This time, we crack replaced too tight. So I was pleased. We made the correction. We crack replaced. The corner was there. He was just too tight.

"So now we can go back and teach. 'OK, now you heard what we said about crack replacing. Now we just got to get you in the right area.' As a football coach, sometimes failure is good because in failure you can see improvement. At Boise, he wasn't even in the picture. I mean, he was still going over the top. Well, if you watch it, he's down there, but he's so tight. We're playing so fast that there's more space to the edge.

"Outside of that, we hit our tackle number. We try to be under 10 missed tackles in the game. We were at seven. We hit our third-down number. They didn't have a third-down gain. The one they gained, we got a pass interference on, which was — again, as a coach, that failure two or three games ago, Ruffin let that guy catch the ball, then he tried to tackle him. Well, this time he's going for the pick. He gets there a little bit early.

"So I'd rather say 'whoa' than 'sic 'em.' But the issues that we had that we talked about improving, we saw improvement. We ain't there yet. We still got to get them to crack replace in the right spot. Part of that is everybody on that line's got to be a little bit wider. The D-line's got to set the ball, set the line a little bit wider. The safety's got to realize, 'OK, I'm crack replacing,' and come off, and then the corner's there.

"From an improvement standpoint, from looking like the Three Stooges against Boise — where we're running into each other and you guys are like, 'This Huff guy can't coach' — we improved. Now we just improved and we're playing too fast. So those are things that you can go back and say, 'Here's what we did at Boise. Here's the correction we made. Here's where we can still be a little more detailed.' But you guys took the correction. You improved, but this is where we still got to go.

"I'm hoping that UAB runs the same play, because we should nail the thing right down the line. We should have enough live reps at it. But in the moment, it's like, 'Oh my God, here we go again.' But then when you look at the iPad and you watch it, you're like, 'Man, he actually played it too good,' if that makes sense.

"Overall from a defensive standpoint, we hit our kill number. We set a kill number, which is five. So we had five times three — we had 15 possessions where they didn't score points, which is really good. You probably only get 18 or 19 possessions in a game. We hit our turnover number. We had three turnovers. We hit our missed tackle number. The threshold is 10. We were at seven.

"So there were a lot of positives. And we did it playing multiple guys. That's the part as a coach you really say, 'Yeah, if we leave the ones out there, we should hit our numbers.' But when we start playing multiple guys and you're still hitting your numbers, you're collectively buying into what it takes to play winning football. Obviously we still got some things we got to get corrected, and it's going to be a different challenge because of different personnel, different schematic attacks. But moving forward now, we have a little bit more confidence in what we do and how we do it."

On the receivers — Stonka Burnside and Brady Kluse:

Q: Have you ever had a team where a group of receivers just needs one more thing?

Coach Huff: "Yeah. Stonka — yeah, he dropped it, and I told him, 'You should catch it because you don't know when you're going to get another catch.'

"And then the one they called back — yeah, if they called it back, I thought it was a touchdown. I agree with you. I think we should probably be the instant replay crew. But they didn't. And we told him. And again, I can be the 'Oh, the refs are screwing you,' you know, the Little League parents — 'Oh, the ref, coach should put you in.' That's not me. If they say it's a hold, it's a hold. If they say you dropped it, you should have caught it, right?

"So what we talked about is being more secure with the catch, right? Like the second one he had, like the one Brady had. Not downgrading the kid or beating him down, but, 'Hey, how can you improve?' You could have had two touchdowns in a game where you may not get an opportunity this week to get a touchdown. And he was receptive of it. You know, it wasn't a beat-down. You made a mistake."

On ball security in the rain at Charlotte:

Coach Huff: "I was really impressed overall offensively. We talk about making our layups — like, the easy things we got to keep doing. Throwing and catching is easy. What I was impressed with is we didn't have the excuse of the weather putting the ball on the ground, or 'I dropped the ball because it was wet.' Sometimes in those games you see a ball go through a guy's hands and they come to the sideline looking for a towel. It's been raining for an hour, bro. You should have known the ball was going to be wet.

"But we didn't turn the ball over in those conditions. We didn't have the drops that were because of a wet ball. Those were the things that I was impressed with, which tells me now you're eliminating excuses and you're focusing on doing your job. Both teams are playing in the same conditions, so you can't say, 'Because it was raining, I fumbled or did those things.'

"That was impressive to me — that in those conditions, we were able to take care of the ball. We didn't have a ball on the ground. We didn't have a drop because of the rain. The drops we had, the guys got their hands in.

"When you're at that level of making your layups, when you can make the easy stuff easy, that's when a catch like Stonka's or Brady's becomes even more glaring, because we were able to complete a pass on first down that got us to that spot, or we were able to run the ball and not put it on the ground that got us to the spot for the big play.

"That's what I talked to the team about. When you make layups, it's easy to kick the ball out to Steph. It's hard when you miss a layup and miss a three-pointer. Now it's like, man, you're reeling. So that was impressive for me — to be in that environment, those conditions and still be consistent without putting the ball on the ground."

On team chemistry and controlling the volume:

Q: How are you feeling about this group being connected?

Coach Huff: "I think we're in a good spot. They've put a lot of work in. We put a lot of intentionality into getting connected this summer. I think the true test was the Boise loss, because when everybody's winning, everybody's happy, right? Even the guys who ain't playing — they won't show that they're not happy. But when you lose, everybody's got the answer. And we didn't have that.

"The thing that will continue to challenge or test that is as we go, can we stay connected and can we stay focused? Or does a player start really looking at his stats, or does a player really start looking at what you guys post, or does a player really start looking at what someone is saying about him?

"I told them on Sunday: the noise is great. You deserve it. You've earned it. You should be getting the noise. You went through a phase where you were getting the negative noise. You've earned this noise. What we've got to be able to do — we've got to be mature enough to control the volume.

"If the noise is getting so loud that you can't hear what your coach is saying to you to improve, you got to turn the volume down. If the noise is getting so loud in your head or it's making you not practice or go to class the same way, you turn the volume down. And I told them, there's some of you that need to turn it off because you can't handle it at all. Right? That's the balance.

"When we were all young, you're playing your music in your room, and mom says dinner. Well, if you can't hear mom say dinner, you're not going to eat. So if you can't hear a coach trying to help you improve because you're still listening to what Randy Moss said on ESPN or you're still listening to what some podcast says about you — hey, coach is trying to tell you what you need to do to improve. If you can't hear that, you got to turn the volume down.

"You got to embrace that because that's what makes the connectivity real. That's what they talk about, if that makes sense. No one goes back to the room and talks about the corrections walkthrough, right? They go back and talk, 'Man, you made a good catch, man. That was a good throw.'

"You got to be able to give them their flowers, but also help them understand we got to control the volume. We can't let it get so loud that it affects us. And we can't turn it down so much that we act like it's not there. There's a balance."

On building depth and eliminating the starter-backup mindset:

Q: With back-to-back games where you handle business early enough to make subs, how beneficial is that going to be later in the season?

Coach Huff: "I think it's a balance. I told them after the game, we don't have starters and backups anymore, right? We've got guys that have played in multiple games now. So what we have is role guys. There's a group of guys whose role is to go out there first. There's a group of guys whose role is to go out there later in the game. But there is no starter-backup, because when you go in the game now, you're expected to execute.

"We've been in a position where we've been able to put some guys in the game and still operate the offense. I think Air [Noland] is probably the best example of it, right? Typically, as the backup quarterback early in the year, you go in at the end of the game, you hand it off, you hand it off, you hand it off. He's been in some situations where he's been able to still run the offense, and we can see him play quarterback — not him prove to us that he is a quarterback.

"Him being able to have that discipline along with other players — us being able to call normal offense and defense and see if they can execute — has been helpful.

"I think it also creates better practice and preparation during the week, because all of a sudden, I might get in. So I got to pay attention. I got to watch film, because if I get in there, I don't want to not execute. I think it helps the whole organization. It helps us take reps off of some of the guys who are playing a lot of reps as the season goes on. It helps us as coaches to find out what is real depth, right? Just because your name is the number two on the depth chart don't mean that you have depth.

"It gives us a chance to see that. It gives us a chance to see if we do put a guy in a game, can we call normal offense and defense, or do we need to adjust? Does he need to be next to someone that tells him right or left or whatever it is. So it's giving us coaches knowledge that probably took two or three years in the old system, because you need to see a guy develop. We're able to kind of expedite that a little bit to help us hopefully in the long run."

On Ryder Burton and UAB's offense:

Q: When you're looking at UAB and their quarterback, Ryder Burton, what do you see in him and what do you see about their offense?

Coach Huff: "Fiery competitor. You can see he loves the competition. You can see he can make all the throws. You can see he has a really good handle of the offense and what they're trying to do.

"I think obviously he and Coach Mortensen obviously have a great relationship, because it's almost seamless to what you see him do on the field or what they're trying to do. And what does that mean? He's not trying to force balls. The balls are going where the play design says go. He's doing a really good job of managing when to check a play, when to get everybody set, when to motion a guy. Obviously from the eye test, you're not sure if it's all on him or Coach Mortensen, but what he's able to manage, he's been managing well."

On approaching the Battle for the Bones:

Q: Have you talked to the team about what happened last year?

Coach Huff: "I've kind of focused, but it's a different culture, you know, so I can't speak to the mindset of that week, that game, that year. Trying to ask a guy to explain, 'Hey, last year this' — it would be a little bit difficult. What we have done is really focused in on what it means to the fans, and that to me should motivate us enough to go out and play with a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of energy.

"The fact that this is the next one of seven that we get as a team should motivate us to prepare extremely hard this week, should motivate us to go out and play extremely hard and then execute. And when you put those two together, it's more about us, and not, 'Well, last year they beat us, so let's go beat them.'

"Someone asked me before — I've never lost, so I don't know what it feels like to lose the Bones. And I say that not boastfully. I don't know. So I can't talk to them about a loss that I wasn't a part of. On the flip side, I've never won it. So I can't talk to them about what it feels like to win it either.

"All I can talk to them about is what it means to our fans and what we need to do to go achieve the result we want in a game. From there, everything else is going to be new for me. So trying to balance that and put the focus on what we can control versus history or what happened last year — totally different if we were calling the plays and we had turnovers and we didn't execute and we could go back to our third-down percentage. Without that knowledge, it would just be kind of flipping a page and saying, 'Hey, look at last year.' So we focus more on what we can control and what it means to the fans."

On NIL and the O-line barbecue pitch:

Coach Huff: "Whatever rib barbecue establishment that will give our O-line a NIL opportunity if we're able to win the game — that is my favorite place. I'll say that again. Whatever barbecue place that is willing to give our O-line an NIL deal if we're able to win the game, that was my favorite barbecue place.

"I know I joke, but it's changed. Revenue, NIL is real. As much as we need our community to show up, we need our businesses to partner. We need our student-athletes to have opportunities which create more excitement, knowledge, advertisement for our businesses.

"I'll wear whatever shirt that they want me to wear. I'll be a billboard for NIL if it helps me retain some really good players on our O-line. Yeah, whatever company barbecue place that is, that's where I'm going. Actually, let's go right after we leave here — we all can go.

"But to me, that's where an opportunity like this that means so much to our community, that has some tangible relativity, is where we can take the next step as a program, as a community."