The 49ers (5-4) travel to Texas Stadium for a 1:00 ET kickoff against the Dallas Cowboys (8-1). Troy Aikman is the starter. Emmitt Smith is the back. Michael Irvin and Alvin Harper are the receivers. The Cowboys come off five straight wins.
Elvis Grbac is the starter for the fourth straight week with Steve Young still on the injury report.[1][2]
Troy Aikman comes to Texas Stadium for the rivalry matchup at 8-1. The Cowboys' offense has averaged 27 points per game across the first nine. Emmitt Smith is on pace for 1,800 rushing. Michael Irvin has 10 touchdown receptions through nine games.
The 49ers' Sunday at Texas Stadium is the rivalry road game where Elvis Grbac, off two straight two-interception afternoons, gets the kind of test that defines whether the title-defense year can sustain a postseason push.
Week 11 has the conference's most-anticipated road game plus a slate where the playoff race is settling. The Cowboys sit at 8-1; the Packers 8-1; the Lions 7-3. The AFC has the Dolphins at 8-1 and the Bills 6-4. Inside the division the storyline is the conference's three undefeated-loss teams. The 49ers' Sunday at Texas Stadium is the conference's only matchup of teams with a combined 13-5 record.
Through nine games the 49ers sit at 5-4 with a plus 94 point differential. Grbac is the listed starter. Rice averages 100 receiving yards per game. The Cowboys are 8-1 with Aikman averaging 240 passing per game and Smith 4.5 a carry. Vegas opens the Cowboys as 9-point home favorites. Watching today: Grbac's first NFL start against the Cowboys.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 5-4 | W2 |
| Cleveland Browns | 4-5 | L1 |
| Houston Oilers | 4-5 | W2 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 3-6 | L2 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 3-6 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 6-3 | W1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 6-3 | W2 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 5-4 | L1 |
| New England Patriots | 3-6 | W1 |
| New York Jets | 2-8 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | 8-1 | W5 |
| Oakland Raiders | 7-2 | W2 |
| Denver Broncos | 5-4 | W1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 4-5 | L1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 3-6 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 6-3 | W1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 5-4 | L2 |
| St. Louis Rams | 5-4 | L3 |
| Carolina Panthers | 4-5 | W4 |
| New Orleans Saints | 3-6 | W2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 6-3 | L1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 5-4 | L2 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5-4 | L2 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 4-5 | W1 |
| Detroit Lions | 3-6 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 8-1 | W4 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 5-4 | L1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 3-6 | -- |
| New York Giants | 3-6 | L1 |
| Washington Redskins | 3-7 | L2 |
Elvis Grbac threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns, Jerry Rice caught 5 for 161 with a touchdown and the 49ers blew out the Dallas Cowboys 38-20 at Texas Stadium. Derek Loville ran for 61 on 23 carries with a touchdown. Troy Aikman went 15 of 26 for 134 yards. Emmitt Smith ran for 100 with a touchdown. The 49ers led 24-10 at halftime.[1][2]
Elvis Grbac threw two touchdowns at Texas Stadium and the 49ers blew out the Cowboys 38-20. Jerry Rice caught five for 161 with a touchdown including the 79-yarder that put the 49ers up 17-10 in the second quarter. Derek Loville ran for 61 on 23 carries with a score.
The defensive front produced three sacks of Troy Aikman. Bryant Young registered two. The Cowboys' offense, with Aikman throwing for 134 and Emmitt Smith running for 100, produced 20 points across the full sixty minutes. The 49ers' offense scored on five of seven possessions.
The 49ers walk back to the airport 6-4 with the road trip to Miami on Sunday next. The wire copy is going to spend the column on the rivalry road win. The film room is going to spend the week on Grbac's bounce-back.
49ers 38, Cowboys 20. Margin: plus 18. Record: 6-4.
A 38-20 road win at Texas Stadium. The 49ers improve to 6-4 with the rivalry road win.
How it unfolded
The Cowboys opened with a field goal. Grbac answered with a 1-yard rushing touchdown to take a 7-3 lead. The 79-yard Rice touchdown made it 14-3. A Smith touchdown made it 14-10. A Wade Richey field goal pushed it to 17-10. A second Grbac touchdown made it 24-10 at the half. The third quarter saw a Loville rushing touchdown to make it 31-10. The Cowboys added two fourth-quarter touchdowns to make the final 38-20 (with a closing 49ers touchdown).
The turning point
The second-quarter Rice 79-yard touchdown. With the 49ers up 7-3 and the offense facing third-and-eight at midfield, Grbac found Rice on a deep cross over the safety. The 14-3 cushion put the visitors in script-the-clock posture from the second quarter forward.
By the numbers
Grbac 20-of-30 for 305 with two touchdowns and no interceptions; the cleanest passing line of his career. Rice 5 catches for 161 with the 79-yard touchdown; his sixth 100-yard receiving day of the year. Loville 61 on 23 carries with a touchdown. Defensively the front produced three sacks (Bryant Young 2, Stubblefield 1); the secondary held the Cowboys' receivers under 60 each.
Personnel watch
Grbac's bounce-back is the headline. The third-year backup's 20-of-30 line was the cleanest of his career and the kind of pocket reads the staff has been projecting. Rice's 161 was his second 150-plus receiving day of the year.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Elvis Grbac | 20/30 | 305 | 2 | 0 | |
| DAL | |||||
| Wade Wilson | 15/26 | 134 | 0 | 2 | |
| Jason Garrett | 4/5 | 46 | 1 | 0 | |
| Troy Aikman | 4/6 | 29 | 0 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Derek Loville | 23 | 61 | 1 | 8 |
| Adam Walker | 3 | 10 | 0 | 7 |
| Ricky Ervins | 3 | 9 | 0 | 5 |
| Elvis Grbac | 3 | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| DAL | ||||
| Emmitt Smith | 18 | 100 | 1 | 33 |
| Wade Wilson | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Sherman Williams | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Jason Garrett | 1 | -1 | 0 | -1 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Jerry Rice #80 | 5 | 161 | 1 | 81 |
| Ted Popson | 4 | 38 | 0 | 15 |
| Chris Thomas | 2 | 30 | 0 | 23 |
| Derek Loville | 2 | 27 | 1 | 19 |
| Brent Jones #84 | 4 | 25 | 0 | 11 |
| J.J. Stokes | 2 | 20 | 0 | 11 |
| Adam Walker | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| DAL | ||||
| Jay Novacek | 7 | 55 | 0 | 14 |
| Emmitt Smith | 6 | 50 | 0 | 20 |
| Michael Irvin | 4 | 37 | 1 | 11 |
| Sherman Williams | 1 | 24 | 0 | 24 |
| Daryl Johnston | 2 | 17 | 0 | 12 |
| Eric Bjornson | 2 | 14 | 0 | 9 |
| Kevin Williams | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 1995 W11 - 49ers at Dallas Cowboys - Game Thread