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The 49ers improved to 47-24-2 overall and 24-13 on the road against the<br />
New Orleans Saints with a hard-fought 31-21 victory against the Saints at<br />
the Metrodome. San Francisco’s defense forced New Orleans to two consecutive<br />
3-and-outs on their first two possessions of the game. QB Colin<br />
Kaepernick made his second NFL start of his young career, completing 16<br />
of 25 pass attempts for 231 yds., 1 TD, 1 INT and a QB rating of 90.6, while<br />
also adding 6 carries for 27 yds. and 1 TD on the ground. On the second<br />
play of the 49ers second possession, Kaepernick connected with WR Mario<br />
Manningham for 40 yds. and then again on the next play for 13 yds., putting<br />
the ball on the New Orleans 7-yd. line. From there, Kaepernick ran it in for<br />
a 7-yd. TD run. It was his 4th rushing TD of the season, marking the most<br />
by a 49ers QB since Jeff Garcia tallied 7 rushing TDs in 2003. New Orleans<br />
answered the 49ers score with a 10-play, 79-yd. drive of their own, capped<br />
off by a 6-yd. TD pass to TE David Thomas from QB Drew Brees. The 49ers<br />
and Saints’ offenses both stalled on each of their next possessions leading<br />
to a mishandled punt by WR Ted Ginn Jr. that was recovered by New<br />
Orleans S Rafael Bush on the San Francisco 11-yd. line. Two plays later,<br />
Brees completed a 10-yd.TD pass to WR Marques Colston, making the score<br />
14-7 in favor of New Orleans. With :43 remaining in the 2nd qtr., Kaepernick<br />
was picked off by CB Patrick Robinson at the New Orleans 44-yd. line. Two<br />
plays after the INT, Brees was intercepted by LB Ahmad Brooks and Brooks<br />
returned it 50-yds. for a TD, tying the score at 14 apiece going into halftime.<br />
The INT returned for a TD was Brooks’ 1st career TD, 1st INT of the season<br />
and 2nd of his career. The 49ers began the 2nd half with the ball, as Kaepernick<br />
led a balanced attack down the field. On 3rd-and-2, TE Delanie Walker<br />
hauled in a 45-yd. recept. from Kaepernick down to the New Orleans 27-yd.<br />
line. Three plays after Walker’s catch, Gore registered a 6-yd. TD recept.<br />
from Kaepernick. It was Gore’s 10th career TD recept. and 1st of the season.<br />
On the first play of the Saints’ ensuing possession, DT Justin Smith notched<br />
his 1st sack of the game. Smith registered a season high 1.5 sacks in the<br />
game and now has 74.5 sacks in his career. Following the sack, Brees was<br />
intercepted by S Donte Whitner and returned 42-yds. for a TD, stretching the<br />
49ers lead to 28-14 with 11:42 remaining in the 3rd qtr. It was Whitner’s 1st<br />
INT of the season and 8th of his career. It marked his 2nd career TD and 1st<br />
since 9/20/09 vs. TB (as a member of the Buffalo Bills). The 2 INTs returned<br />
for TDs marked the first time the 49ers had accomplished that feat since<br />
10/22/95 vs. StL (LB Ken Norton Jr. - 21-yd. and 35-yd. INT returns). On<br />
their next possession, New Orleans drove 8-plays for 80-yds. and scored on<br />
a 2-yd. pass to FB Jed Collins from Brees. The 49ers began the 4th qtr. with<br />
the ball, as Kaepernick and Gore marched down the field 85-yds to setup K<br />
David Akers for a 27-yd. FG that put San Francisco ahead 31-21 with 7:53<br />
remaining in the 4th qtr. With the FG, Akers has now made at least 1 FG in all<br />
27 games as a 49er, extending the franchise record for consecutive games<br />
with a made FG. The 49ers defense was stifling for the remainder of the 4th<br />
qtr., as they sacked Brees 3.0 times and did not allow the Saints to pass<br />
midfield. The 49ers defense tallied 5.0 sacks on Brees, the most against the<br />
Saints since 10/30/11 at StL (6.0 sacks). The 49ers have won 8 of their first<br />
11 games for the 2nd consecutive season (9-2 in 2011), the first time the<br />
team has accomplished that feat in back-to-back years since 1997-98.<br />
NOteS: San Francisco improved to 10-3 on the road under head coach<br />
Jim Harbaugh...In the month of November under Harbaugh, the 49ers improved<br />
to 5-1-1...The Niners improved to 16-4-1 vs. NFC opponents<br />
under Harbaugh...San Francisco improved its regular season record under<br />
Harbaugh to 21-5-1...Kaepernick is the first 49er to register a rushing TD<br />
and a passing TD in the same game since QB Alex Smith (32-21-219-0-1<br />
TD passing; 5-4-1 TD rushing) at StL (1/1/12)...Since 2011, the 49ers are<br />
now 20-1-1 when RB Frank Gore and RB Kendall Hunter combine for<br />
20 carries or more...Gore led the way with 83 yds. rushing on 19 carries,<br />
while Hunter added 28 yds. on 4 carries...The 49ers offensive line did not<br />
allow a sack on 25 pass attempts by QB Colin Kaepernick. The last time the<br />
49ers did not allow a sack was 10/7/12 vs. Buf. (25 attempts)...FB Bruce<br />
miller tallied a season-high 3 recepts. for a career-high 37 yds...LB ahmad<br />
Brooks added 1.5 sacks. He now has 5.5 sacks on the season and 25.5 in<br />
his career...LB Patrick Willis also notched 0.5 a sack, marking his first sack<br />
of the season and 17.5 of his career...LB aldon Smith recorded 1.5 sacks on<br />
Saints QB Drew Brees. Smith ranks 1st in the NFL with 16.5 sacks...Smith<br />
now has 30.5 career sacks in just 27 games, marking the fastest player to<br />
record 30.0 sacks in NFL history. The previous mark held by DE Reggie White<br />
(28 games)...With 30.5 career sacks, Smith now ranks 2nd in NFL history for<br />
the most sacks in their first two seasons, trailing only DE Reggie White (31.0).<br />
Sunday, noVember 25<br />
San FracnSico 31, new orleanS 21<br />
mercedeS-benZ Superdome<br />
1st 2nd 3rd 4th Pts<br />
San Francisco 7 7 14 3 31<br />
New Orleans 7 7 7 0 21<br />
SF - C. Kaepernick, 7 run (D. Akers) (4-62, 2:06)<br />
NO - D. Thomas, 6 pass from D. Brees (G. Hartley) (10-79, 5:36)<br />
NO - M. Colston, 10 pass from D. Brees (G. Hartley) (2-11, 0:48)<br />
SF - A. Brooks, 50 interception return (D. Akers)<br />
SF - F. Gore, 6 pass from C. Kaepernick (D. Akers) (6-80, 2:43)<br />
SF - D. Whitner, 42 interception return (D. Akers)<br />
NO - J. Collins, 2 pass from D. Brees (G. Hartley) (8-80, 4:11)<br />
SF - D. Akers, 27 FG (16-85, 9:28)<br />
team StatiSticS SF NO<br />
First Downs 18 19<br />
Net Yards Gained 375 290<br />
Rushes/Yards 31/144 21/59<br />
Net Yards Passing 231 231<br />
Att/Comp/INT 25/16/1 41/26/2<br />
Sacked/Yards Lost 0/0 5/36<br />
Punts/Average 4/46.8 5/50.4<br />
Fumbles/Lost 1/1 0/0<br />
Penalties/Yards 10/68 4/53<br />
Time of Possession 30:06 29:54<br />
3rd Down Efficiency 6/13 (46%) 3/11 (27%)<br />
RUSHiNG: 49eRS - F. Gore 19-83, K. Hunter 4-28, C. Kaepernick 6-27-1,<br />
A. Dixon 1-5, B. Jacobs 1-1... SaiNtS - C. Ivory 8-34, M. Ingram 10-27,<br />
P. Thomas 1-0, D. Brees 2-(-2).<br />
ReceiViNG: 49eRS - M. Manningham 5-69, D. Walker 3-81, B. Miller<br />
3-37, M. Crabtree 3-26, F. Gore 2-18-1 TD... SaiNtS - D. Sproles 7-65,<br />
M. Colston 4-36-1 TD, J. Graham 4-33, D. Thomas 4-24-1 TD, L. Moore<br />
3-61, J. Collins 2-9-1 TD, J. Morgan 1-33, D. Henderson 1-6.<br />
PaSSiNG: 49eRS - C. Kaepernick 25-16-231-1-1 TD... SaiNtS - D.<br />
Brees 41-26-267-2-3 TDs.<br />
iNts: 49eRS - A. Brooks 1-50-1 TD, D. Whitner 1-42-1 TD... SaiNtS - P.<br />
Robinson 1-0.<br />
SacKS: 49eRS - A. Brooks 1.5, Ald. Smith 1.5, J. Smith 1.5, P. Willis 0.5...<br />
SaiNtS - None.<br />
49eRS tURNOVeR RatiO: Even (1 fumble, 1 INT/0 fumbles, 2 INTs).<br />
Weather: Dome<br />
temperature: 66 degrees<br />
Wind: Dome<br />
Playing Surface: UBU Speed Series-S5-M<br />
time: 3:18<br />
attendance: 73,147
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