49ers ride two Trey Lance touchdowns to 15-10 win over Chargers

Two touchdown passes from quarterback Trey Lance were all the 49ers needed to notch a 15-10 road win over the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday evening at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Lance took over for starter Jimmy Garoppolo after one offensive series and rebounded from a rough start to throw for 102 yards and an interception to go with his two touchdowns on 8-of-14 passing before leaving the game in the third quarter. The Chargers jumped out to a 10-2 second quarter lead in the game behind backup quarterback Easton Stick (10-of-14, 85 yards) but were held scoreless the rest of the way.

As It Happened - First Quarter

The Chargers began the game with possession and with Stick getting the nod at quarterback while starter Justin Herbert remains on the sidelines for the preseason (coach's decision). Stick kept the Chargers on the field for five plays against a 49ers defense resting most of its starters before the 49ers forced a punt and took over at their own 16-yard line.

In his long series of the game, Garoppolo led the 49ers on a 15-play drive that ended in an interception by rookie cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. The drive consisted mostly of runs and short passes, then Garoppolo fired a high third-down pass downfield late in the drive that bounced off the hands of wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and into the hands of Samuel to set the Chargers up with possession at their own 8-yard line after a penalty. The Chargers began possession with just over four minutes remaining in the quarter, then ran a handful of plays before time expired.

Second Quarter

The Chargers were forced to punt shortly after the start of the second quarter, which set up the 49ers at their own 24-yard line. Lance took over at quarterback for Garoppolo and completed one of three passes (a nine-yard completion to wide receiver Deebo Samuel) before the 49ers punted back to the Chargers after five plays.

The Chargers were pinned back at their own 8-yard line after the punt, which led to the 49ers starting the scoring in unusual fashion. After running two plays that put them in a 3rd-and-11 situation, the Chargers gave up a safety when Stick was sacked in the end zone by 49ers defensive end Jordan Willis.

Momentum quickly shifted back to the Chargers on the following possession. The 49ers took over at their own 14-yard line after a Chargers kick and an illegal block penalty on wide receiver Travis Benjamin, then turned the ball over to the Chargers on second down when a pass from Lance deflected off the hands of wide receiver Mohamed Sanu and into the arms of cornerback Tevaughn Campbell.

The Chargers turned the interception into a 7-2 lead seven plays later when Stick found wide receiver Joshua Palmer in the end zone for a three-yard touchdown. Stick and the Chargers were given a first-and-goal after a third-down pass interference penalty on 49ers cornerback B.W. Webb, then Stick found Palmer wide open for the score after rolling towards the sideline.

The 49ers punted the ball back to the Chargers after a three-and-out, then the Chargers quickly moved into 49ers territory on a 39-yard completion from Stick to wide receiver Jalen Guyton. The Chargers finished the possession with a 50-yard field goal from kicker Michael Badgley to open up a 10-2 lead.

Lance and the 49ers took over with 57 seconds left in the half, which turned out to be enough time to get some points on the board. A 41-yard completion to Trent Sherfield got the 49ers to the Chargers' 13-yard line, then Lance found Sanu from five yards out for a touchdown with 12 seconds left in the half. A two-point conversion run by Lance on the next play was negated by a holding call on rookie offensive lineman Jaylon Moore, then Robbie Gould missed the point after attempt to keep the 49ers' deficit at 10-8.

Third Quarter

The 49ers began the second half with possession but were forced to punt after four plays. The Chargers took over at their own 20-yard line with Chase Daniel replacing Stick at quarterback but punted the ball back to the 49ers after a three-and-out. From there, Lance led the 49ers on their second touchdown drive of the night, an 11-play, 63-yard possession that culminated with a 16-yard strike from Lance to Travis Benjamin. Gould connected on the point after attempt to give the 49ers a 15-10 lead. The touchdown would be the final play of the night for Lance, who exited the game for third-string quarterback Nate Sudfeld.

The Chargers and 49ers traded three-and-outs after Lance's second touchdown, then the Chargers took possession with just over a minute remaining in the third quarter.

Fourth Quarter

The Chargers moved the ball into 49ers territory early in the fourth, but a pass from Daniel on a 2nd-and-19 play was picked off by safety Jared Mayden and returned for a touchdown before being called back due to a holding penalty. The 49ers took over on the Chargers' 48-yard line but quickly gave the ball back to the Chargers when Sudfeld fumbled on the second play of the possession.

The 49ers got another opportunity after a Chargers three-and-out when a 32-yard punt return by Richie James gave the 49ers the ball at the Chargers' 48-yard line. But the 49ers couldn't capitalize on the field position and were held to a three-and-out of their own. The Chargers responded with a drive to midfield but the 49ers defense held and forced a punt to their own 12-yard line with just over four minutes left in the game.

The offensive drought continued for both teams, with each team punting after a three-and-out before the 49ers took over once again with just over two minutes to play. The 49ers were forced to punt back to the Chargers with 54 seconds remaining in the game, but the 49ers shut down the Chargers from there to seal the win.

Garoppolo finished 3-of-6 for 15 yards with an interception. Sudfield finished 2-of-4 for 17 yards while running back Wayne Gallman led the way on the ground with 15 carries for 72 yards. Daniel, who is battling Stick for the backup quarterback spot behind Herbert, finished with 60 yards and an interception on 13-of-20 passing.

The 49ers will wrap up their preseason schedule on Sunday, August 29 with a home game against the Las Vegas Raiders (4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT). From there, the 49ers and all other NFL teams will be required to trim their rosters to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, August 31.