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Niners off to great start with 20-17 victory over Cardinals
By Pearl Allison Lo September 10, 2007 |
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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Arnaz Battle almost won and lost the game at the same time and was able to make amends with seconds left in the game for a 20-17 San Francisco victory over the Arizona Cardinals. The Niners were down by four points with 2:58 left in the fourth quarter and went twelve plays and 86 yards, and Battle had a 22 yard pass from QB Alex Smith, when Battle then fumbled at the one-yard line and it was also muffed by a Cardinals defender. After some consulting by the referees, the ball was spotted on the one-yard line and the Niners had a 1st and goal situation. Smith then called on Battle again and he went left for the touchdown and the three-point lead, which would eventually be the final score. Red and gold and red and white met on the field as the Niners met none other than the Cardinals on Monday night. Arizona has now lost seven of their last 8 season openers and San Francisco finally beat the Cardinals under Coach Mike Nolan. San Francisco also wore cherry-colored throwback jerseys which were worn during the Bill Walsh era in honor of him. Niners scored first in the game when Walt Harris had an interception on the first pass of the night by Arizona quarterback Matt Leinart, and Harris was brought down at the Arizona 6 yard line. Niners running back Frank Gore played and capitalized on the catch, with a 6 yard end zone run giving the 49ers a 7-0 lead This score held until 12:51 in the second quarter when Arizona kicker Neil Rackers hit a 35-yard field goal. The Cardinals’ running back Edgerrin James then rushed for a touchdown for a 10-7 lead. Arizona’s lead held until San Francisco’s kicker Joe Nedney kicked a 33-yard FG at 3:35 in the second quarter at 10-10 at the half. Nedney kicked his second field goal of the night at 11:15 in the third quarter, this time a 30-yard field goal that gave the Niners a 13-10 lead, and it would be the only score in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, with 7:22 left, the Cardinals were 3rd and 3 at the Niners thirty yard lien, and Leinart scrambled for twenty yard, and the Niners were assessed a five yard unsportsmanlike conduct call, which then set up a first and 5 from the five. Leinart tossed a 5-yard TD pass to Anquan Boldin. This gave the Cardinals a 17-13 lead at 6:40 in the fourth. After the Battle touchdown, Arizona received the kick-off at their 30, and the Niners Shawntae Spencer intercepted Leinart’s pass, and that was the game for the Niners. Game Notes: This was Arizona head coach Ken Whisenhunt’s first game as such. Center Al Johnson went down with a sprained left knee during the game. It was 49er linebacker Patrick Willis’s first NFL game and but did not seem like it as he had nine tackles and one assist. |
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