49ers at Rams game notes
Sep 17, 2007 at 10:12 PM
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The 49ers improved to a 2-0 start for the first time since 1998.
The 49ers have started a season 2-0 12 times in the Super Bowl era and the last seven occurrences ended up being playoff years.
49er Teams That Started Season 2-0 – Super Bowl Era
1967 - Missed Playoffs
1970 - Lost NFC Championship
1974 - Missed Playoffs
1980 - Missed Playoffs
1984 - Won Super Bowl
1988 - Won Super Bowl
1989 - Won Super Bowl
1990 - Lost NFC Championship
1995 - Lost Div. Playoff
1996 - Lost Div. Playoff
1998 - Lost Div. Playoff
CB Nate Clements (defense), WR Arnaz Battle (offense) and RB Michael Robinson (special teams) served as game captains.
Head coach Mike Nolan improved to a 4-1 record against the Rams as head coach of the 49ers.
RB
Frank Gore finished with two touchdowns after scoring on a one-yard run in the second quarter and a 43-yard run on a fourth-and-one play in the third quarter.
He has now scored six touchdowns in his past three games against the Rams.
Gore's two-touchdowns marked the fourth time he has scored two touchdowns in a game.
His 43-yard touchdown run is the third longest touchdown run of his career, behind a 72-yard touchdown run at Washington (10-23-05) and a 61-yard touchdown run at Detroit (11-12-06).
The 49ers finished the game with six total sacks. It was the most sacks the team has had since finishing with six in last season's 20-13 victory over the Rams at Monster Park on September 17, 2006.
Three of the 49ers six sacks came on St. Louis first offensive series.
DT Bryant Young finished the game with two sacks. He forced QB Marc Bulger to fumble on a one-yard sack early in the third quarter, and he sacked Bulger for a seven-yard loss late in the fourth quarter to force the Rams into a third-and-17 situation.
The game marked Young's 21st two-plus sack game.
The 49ers are now 38-19 when Young has one or more sacks in a game.
CB Nate Clements had his second NFL sack when he came on a corner blitz and dropped QB Mar Bulger for an 11-yard loss on a third-and-12 play to end the Rams first offensive drive. It was his first sack since his rookie season with Buffalo in 2001 when he registered a sack in the third quarter vs. New England (12-16-01).
PK Joe Nedney kicked his 17th game-winning field goal with a 40-yarder in the fourth quarter to give the 49ers a 16-14 lead. It was his fifth game-winning field goal as a member of the 49ers.
FB Moran Norris made his first start of the season. He did not start in the opener when the team opened in a two-tight end alignment.
G David Baas saw his first action of the year, entering the game as part of the 49ers short yardage package.
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