Memphis football reclaimed the "Battle for the Bones" trophy with a 38-13 win over UAB on Oct. 10 at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
But Tigers coach Charles Huff isn't touching it.
"The trophy's for the fans," Huff said after the game. "I came here for one trophy. Until I get it, I'm not touching another trophy. It may take me 10 years to get it. But I didn't come here for the bones trophy.
Huff is talking about the American Conference trophy, the thing he first talked about at his introductory press conference in December. The Tigers (5-1, 2-0 American Conference) are still a ways away from the end of the season, but they're positioned as one of the favorites to reach the conference title game at this point in the campaign.
Memphis came out slow
against UAB and trailed 13-10 at the half. But the Tigers followed a trend from the first two games of the season and totally dominated in the second half, using a 28-0 run over the game's final 30 minutes to earn what ended up as a blowout win.
Huff said Memphis would host a "ceremony" at some point for fans to come take pictures with the trophy. It had been in Birmingham for the last year after UAB's upset win in 2025 but will now be in Memphis for at least the next year.
And Huff used his answer about grabbing the trophy to talk about his goals for the future of the program.
"This is a new day," Huff said. "This ain't rivalry, big game. We are closing the gap. It may take us 100 years to do it. But that's got to be the focus. We can't get so focused on winning this game that next game doesn't matter. They all matter. And don't get me wrong: I know for the fans, for a lot of people, that that trophy is very important. We will gladly take it, always fight year in, year out to make sure it stays here. It's going to be a battle.
"UAB does a heck of a job of competing. But we're here for one thing. That's the only thing we're here for. And until we get it, we'll keep scratching and clawing and fighting. And I may be 68 years old before I ever touch it. But I won't touch a trophy until then."
Memphis defensive end J'Mond Tapp echoed his coach's comments.
"The only trophy I'm going to grab is the American," Tapp said. "And then the natty."
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Why Charles Huff didn't touch 'Battle for the Bones' trophy after Memphis' win over UAB
