Memphis football coach Charles Huff wants to play the best teams in the country.
So, days before the Tigers travel to Boise State for their game on Sept. 12 (5 p.m. CT, USA Network), Huff referenced "Rocky III" to illustrate his point.
"We don't want setups," Huff said at his news conference Sept. 8. "We don't need Mick to coddle us just so we hold on to the championship title a little bit longer. You want to challenge yourself."
He's referring to the beginning of "Rocky III," when Rocky Balboa defends his title against cherry-picked opponents. The problem with the metaphor for Tigers fans? When Balboa faces his first dangerous challenger, he gets knocked out by Clubber Lang (although he gets his revenge when he knocks Lang out in the rematch).
Regardless, a Balboa vs. Lang title match is probably an apt way to set up the stakes for the game in Boise, Idaho. Both teams are considered top contenders for the Group of Six spot in the College Football Playoff, and there's no doubt that the winner will go into next week as the clear favorite and with a likely spot in the Top 25.
"We're capable of winning the game," Huff said. "The question is: Are we willing to do what it takes to win the game. Are we willing to do what it takes Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday to win the game? Sixty minutes of disciplined football, tough, physical, executing consistently, responding when things don't go your way. Are we willing to do that? That's what me, the adults, this team, we've got to get to that point."
The Tigers are 2-0 after beating UNLV and Arkansas State. The Broncos have only played once, a 34-27 loss at No. 2 Oregon on Sept. 5. Huff said he made it very clear to his team that there's no room for error against Boise State.
"They are going to line up and bludgeon you for 60 minutes if you let them," he said. "I was very clear with our team: If we don't play our best game of the year, we're going to lose. And if we go up there and fiddle-diddle around, we're going to get embarrassed. And I'm being dead honest. I don't believe in trying to pump up a team — it's a real football team. They should be a Power Four team, in my opinion."
Huff called the Broncos "probably the best tackling team I've seen on film in a long time." That was extremely apparent in the game against Oregon, when Boise State went toe-to-toe with a team getting plenty of hype as a national title contender.
This looks like the toughest game on Memphis' schedule. It's definitely the last steep test for a while — after playing Boise, the Tigers will face FCS-level UT Martin and then open conference play against the projected bottom two teams in the conference in Charlotte and UAB.
Win or lose, Memphis vs. Boise State will be talked about for a long time after Sept. 12.
"I haven't slept since Saturday night," Huff said. "Hopefully I'll get to sleep on the plane. But I've got to do everything I can to make sure that this team is fully aware of what we're walking into."
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Why Memphis football coach Charles Huff references 'Rocky III' for Boise State matchup
