It's time for one of college football's best trophies to re-emerge.
Memphis (4-1, 1-0 American Conference) will host UAB (3-2, 1-0) in the "Battle for the Bones" on Oct. 10 (6 p.m., ESPN2) at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. At stake will be the iconic 94-pound rack of ribs that serves as the trophy when these two teams play.
That trophy has been in Birmingham for the last year after UAB's stunning upset win in what went down as one of the biggest upsets of the entire college football season in 2025. Memphis has an almost entirely new roster and a new coaching staff, but it's still a game that lots of fans have had circled on the schedule for months.
Memphis opened conference play with a demolition of Charlotte on Oct. 3, while UAB is 1-0 in conference play after
upsetting Navy. The Tigers are considered one of the favorites to reach the conference title game, but they can't afford a slip-up against the Blazers again.
Here's your primer for the game.
Memphis looks to keep rolling, regardless of the opponent
Coach Charles Huff downplayed last year's Memphis loss to UAB because of how much roster turnover the Tigers have had. But he did say he's told the team that this game is important to the fans and should be important to the players, too.
Memphis lost to Boise State on Sept. 12, and the Tigers haven't played a competitive game since then. They cruised to a win over FCS UT Martin, then had an open week before easily beating a dysfunctional Charlotte team to open conference play. UAB looks like it'll at least present more of a challenge than those two teams, though.
The Blazers were a dumpster fire under Trent Dilfer, but new coach Alex Mortensen has them looking like a competent team so far in 2026. Quarterback Ryder Burton was the star of UAB's upset win over Memphis in 2025, but he's the Blazers' full-time starter now. He told The Commercial Appeal at American media day in July that he's expecting a competitive game.
"I'm sure there's a lot of hard feelings there," Burton said. "And I don't think I'd have it any other way."
Plenty of connections between the two teams
The rivalry between Memphis and Birmingham started over barbecue, and that's still an important tenet these days. The game is typically preceded by a barbecue contest between teams from the two cities, and that'll be going on in the parking lot at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium before kickoff.
On the field, there's plenty of familiarity. Huff and Mortensen worked together at Alabama in 2019 and 2020, when Huff was running backs coach and Mortensen was an analyst under then-offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian.
CJ Smith is UAB's leading receiver, while Jeremiah Jordan is the Blazers' third-leading tackler. Both were with Memphis in 2025.
Will Memphis' offense keep humming?
The Tigers are fourth in the country in yards per game with 541.2.
Memphis quarterback Marcus Stokes is near the top of the leaderboard in most stats after five games. He's leading the American in passing touchdowns and QB rating and is third in passing yards. Running back Jaylin Carter is second in the conference in rushing yards.
Tight end Hunter Tipton is third in the conference in receiving yards, while receiver Jermane Hayes is 10th.
All that to say: Putting up points has not been an issue for the Tigers, especially as the passing game as looked much-improved over the last two games. Any chance for UAB to be competitive in this game will come if the Blazers can find a way to limit Memphis offensively.
Memphis vs UAB prediction
Memphis 35, UAB 17. The Blazers put up a fight in the first half, but Memphis retakes the bones trophy and continues its undefeated run in conference play.
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis football vs UAB pick, preview in 'Battle for the Bones'
