LOS ANGELES >> There was a false story last week that offensive tackle E.J. Price punched USC coach Clay Helton.
Thankfully for Helton and the program, the incident never happened. But USC might be better off today if the Trojans were a little meaner.
As USC attempts to recover from a 1-3 start, it’s hard to find a character who injected some toughness or anger.
There’s no one like linebacker Rey Maualuga, who might have generated headlines for hitting a quarterback on the field or a student at an off-campus party. The closest this year’s team got to pushing someone around came when offensive tackle Chuma Edoga shoved a middle-aged official and got ejected.