Memphis football coach Charles Huff told his team this week that they're playing against the champions.
The Tigers (5-1, 2-0 American Conference) will face Tulane on Oct. 16 (6:30 p.m. CT, ESPN) at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans. While the Green Wave (2-3, 0-1) won the conference title in 2025 and went to the College Football Playoff, they haven't looked anything like that team this season.
"I fully understand: New team, new coaching staff," Huff said at his weekly news conference on Oct. 13. "I get that. But there is still an aura or a DNA that is in their building. Once you become a champion, there's still guys and staff members in that program who have been to that level and there is a DNA or an expectation that flows throughout buildings that are
champions."
Huff typically has been effusive in his praise of opponents, even when Memphis has been facing teams that appear to be significantly overmatched on paper. Ahead of the game against Charlotte earlier this month, he referred to the 49ers as a "really challenging opponent" despite their winless record.
He did the same when talking about Tulane.
"We're going to have to play and prepare at an elite level to even have a chance on Friday," Huff said.
Memphis has mostly cruised through the past month after losing to Boise State on Sept. 12, with blowout wins over UT Martin, Charlotte and UAB. Though the Tigers trailed at halftime against UAB, they dominated the second half with a 28-0 run for a comfortable win.
The game against Tulane is Memphis' chance to beat the defending champion, and it's also a unique coaching matchup that pits Will Hall against Huff. Hall was fired at Southern Miss in 2024 and replaced by Huff, who left after one season in Hattiesburg for Memphis. Now they'll face off in a prime-time game on national TV as both coaches try to take their respective teams to the top of their new conference.
Huff said he has a lot of respect for Hall based on what he saw when he walked into Southern Miss.
"Which was a standard of excellence, which was a hard-nosed tough environment that we walked into. Which I give him and his staff credit for that," Huff said. "And obviously he's done a phenomenal job at Tulane this year. When you watch them on film, even the games that they haven't had the best outcome, they're in the game to the last drive, to the last phase of it, competing at a very high level."
Tulane has struggled offensively this season and is third-worst in the American in both scoring offense and total offense. But Huff said he still sees challenges there, especially with a Green Wave offense that has stuck to the running game throughout.
"Until someone else wins the championship, that's the team we're all chasing in this conference," Huff said. "They've played extremely well at home. That's what champions do. Their defense is really good. That's what champions do. Their offense complements the defense. That's what champions do."
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What Memphis' Charles Huff said about facing Will Hall, Tulane's championship level
