Whitworth’s Tully heads home

An Azusa Pacific University Hall of Famer will do everything in his power to try to beat Azusa Pacific tonight – on the school’s Hall of Fame weekend, no less.

Whitworth football coach John Tully, who as Azusa Pacific’s quarterback from 1970-73 set numerous school records that have since been broken, has every intention of spoiling the Cougars’ homecoming festivities. Tully’s 23rd-ranked Pirates take on his alma mater in a non-conference game at 6 p.m. at Cougar Stadium in Azusa.

Hours before the game, the Azusa Pacific Sports Hall of Fame will enshrine eight new members. Tully was inducted in 1991, but his focus is on the field.

“It is their homecoming and an evening game and their stadium will be packed,” Tully said. “It all adds up to a lot of energy.”

Whitworth (5-1) is bidding for its sixth straight win after a season-opening loss to Redlands. Whitworth hasn’t committed a turnover in three games and has one turnover in its last five games. The Pirates average nearly 244 yards rushing per game, led by Adam Anderson’s Northwest Conference-best 98.8 per game. Whitworth also tops the NWC in rush defense (68.8 yards allowed per game) and continues to lead Division III with a plus-16 turnover margin.

The NAIA Cougars are 3-5, but they’ve faced a brutal schedule. Seven of the Cougars’ first nine opponents have been nationally ranked and six of those foes are a combined 32-7. Two of those seven losses were to Azusa Pacific. The Pirates, meanwhile, have faced just two teams with winning records and the combined record of their first six foes is 12-22.

Azusa Pacific’s Rudy Carlton has tossed 19 touchdown passes. Junior Jon Davis leads the NAIA with 14 TD catches.