Jim Mora Will Call USC ‘Southern Cal’ Whenever He Damn Well Pleases

People from So Cal know quite well that USC likes to be referred to as USC or SC, not “Southern Cal,” which is a name that’s caught on across the country. I’m really not sure how or why it’s caught on, but I know lots of people have been calling it Southern Cal for many years. You would figure that Jim Mora, the new football coach at UCLA, would know that, but he other doesn’t, or is playing stupid.

From the OC Register’s USC Blog:

Mora referred to his new crosstown rival as “Southern Cal” several times while meeting with reporters before the Bruins’ game with Illinois at AT&T Park Saturday.

At one point the new kid in town was reminded that the Trojans don’t like the old school reference.

They don’t want to be called Southern Cal, a media member said.

“Well that’s what I call them, Southern Cal, so, uh, yeah,” Mora replied.

Ugh, just what we need. We go from one coach who declared the football monopoly in the city to be over, to another who’s goading the rival by refusing to call them by their name of preference. Just a reminder to the brash Mora — the defiant strategy didn’t work too well for Neuheisel; he went 0-4 against SC and lost by a combined 132-28 margin.

A word to the wise, Jim: there’s no reason to antagonize the Trojans any more than you have to. They don’t need any extra motivation to pound us after last season’s 50-0 debacle.