If you want to put a finger on what Lincoln Riley is doing wrong, he creates the impression that USC is soft.

But don’t take my word for it. Check out these comments from Andy Staples of On3 Sports on Thursday regarding USC’s stance on the Notre Dame series.

“USC looks incredibly soft running away from this game,” Staples said. “Incredibly soft and maybe that’s the problem. Maybe it’s a general attitude that is the problem at USC, period.

“If you are that scared (of Notre Dame) and you think they’re just going to beat you every year and that’s why you don’t want to play, maybe you shouldn’t because maybe you don’t belong in that echelon of college football.”

Pete Carroll wanted to compete. Lincoln Riley does not.

• USC general manager Chad “Charmin” Bowden won’t speak about the rivalry but he can’t stop talking about toilet paper. He was at an exclusive gathering of NFL, college and high school coaches in Westlake Village last weekend, according to FootballScoop.

“I got new toilet paper in our locker room,” Bowden said. “I got Charmin soft in there so we don’t have itchy asses.”

No one, by the way, does better PR for Bowden than FootballScoop. They cover nearly all his moves in breathless fashion.

• And now for some history:

• When USC scored 20 straight points to upset Notre Dame, 20-17, in 1964, Father Theodore Hesburgh (the Notre Dame president) congratulated John McKay in the USC locker room.

As Hesburgh shook McKay’s hand, he said, “John, that wasn’t a very nice thing for a Catholic to do.” McKay responded, “Father it serves you right for hiring a Presbyterian coach (Ara Parseghian).”

• Two plays before Rod Sherman’s famous game-winning catch, Fred Hill thought he caught a 21-yard TD pass from Craig Fertig but a referee ruled him out of bounds. If Hill had been ruled in bounds (or maybe if replays existed then), Hill might be the hero today.
• Fertig was always a character. After his last game, McKay called him into his office and wanted to know why he stole his football jersey. “I was simply retiring it,” Fertig responded.

WELCOME TO MARV GOUX THEATER

• This is must-see viewing as former USC player/assistant coach Marv Goux had a real role in the 1962 film “Taras Bulba” that starred Tony Curtis and Yul Brenner.

Unlike roles in the “The Twilight Zone” and “Wanted: Dead or Alive” Goux actually has dialogue and plays “Brother Bartholomew,” a monk whose most memorable scene in the movie is to whip Curtis.

“I had a lot of fun making the picture, and I especially liked the part where I whipped Curtis,” Goux said.

Goux often took acting roles in the offseason to make extra money.

The role played into Goux’s gruff persona in real life. He could be tough on staffers, players and students. He was the only coach who would call John McKay “Jack” just to get under his skin.

A Daily Trojan article in 1962 described Goux on the USC campus “as one of the easiest people to recognize because he always looks like he’s doing one of three things: going to a fight, already engaged in one, or just leaving one (the winner, no doubt).”

But once you got past the persona, Goux was usually fascinating and you ended up liking him or at least respecting him.

Unfortunately, I could not embed the Taras Bulba video but you can watch Goux here. Start around the 23 minute mark until around the 35-minute mark to see the USC legend as a stern monk.

A RIVALRY LIKE NO OTHER

Last week I ran a photo of USC players carrying John McKay on their shoulders

USC coach Jeff Cravath gets carried on shoulders of students THREE days after the Trojans tied Notre Dame, 14-14, in 1948. The Irish were ranked No. 2 and 9-0 heading into the game, hence the celebration.

Name another rivalry where you get carried off three days later.

• And here is Jess Hill getting carried by his players after the Trojans’ 42-20 victory over Notre Dame in 1955. Why the celebration? The Irish were 8-1 and ranked No. 5 in the nation entering the contest.

PICTURES OF THE DAY

You know who else is in Taras Bulbas? Vitina Marcus.