49ers vs. Indianapolis Colts

Steve Young ran for two touchdowns and threw for 331 yards, J.J. Stokes caught a touchdown and the 49ers held off the Indianapolis Colts 34-31 at 3Com Park. Peyton Manning threw for 231 yards and three touchdowns including three to Marvin Harrison. Garrison Hearst ran for 65 and caught 6 for 33. The 49ers led 27-21 at halftime and 34-21 in the third quarter before the Colts cut it to 34-31.[1][2]

Marvin Harrison caught three touchdowns. Peyton Manning's first 300-yard passing game produced three scores and one fourth-quarter touchdown drive that cut the 49ers' lead to three points. The 49ers won 34-31 because Steve Young rushed for sixty yards on eight carries and ran in two touchdowns of his own.

The Sunday at 3Com was the offensive shootout the schedule did not project. Young's 60 rushing yards is his highest single-game total of the year. The 49ers' starting quarterback ran the kind of scramble package the staff has historically reserved for cold-weather road games. Defensively the front, off the six-sack shutout last Sunday, produced one sack of the rookie Manning. Faulk ran for 103 yards on 17 carries against the front rotation that had been the team's strength.

The 49ers walk away 5-1 with the road trip to St. Louis on Sunday next. The wire copy is going to spend the column on Manning's three-touchdown rookie afternoon. The film room is going to spend the week on the front rotation against Faulk.

49ers 34, Colts 31. Margin: plus 3. Record: 5-1, plus 81 differential. • Young: 33-of-51 for 331, 2 TDs, 0 INTs; 8 rushes for 60, 2 rushing TDs. • Hearst: 15 carries for 65; 6 catches for 33. • Stokes: 9 catches for 110, 1 TD. • Owens: 7 catches for 79, 1 TD. • Rice: 4 catches for 36. • Manning: 18-of-30 for 231, 3 TDs (rookie's first multi-TD game). • Faulk: 17 carries for 103, 1 TD. • Harrison: 6 catches for 98, 3 TDs.

A 34-31 home win over the Colts. The 49ers improve to 5-1 in the season's first one-score win.

How it unfolded

Manning opened with a touchdown drive ending in the first Harrison score. Young answered with a 5-yard touchdown rush to tie at 7. The second quarter produced four touchdowns: a Stokes touchdown reception, a Manning touchdown to Harrison, a Young rushing touchdown, and an Owens score to make it 27-21 at the half. The third quarter saw an Owens second touchdown to push the lead to 34-21. The Colts cut it to 34-28 on the third Harrison touchdown and a closing Mike Vanderjagt field goal made the final 34-31.

The turning point

The second-quarter Young rushing touchdown. With the 49ers up 21-14 and the offense facing third-and-five at the Colts' 8, the staff called a quarterback draw. Young walked in untouched. The 28-14 cushion became 27-21 by the half but the 49ers had built the kind of margin the offense's second-half script could protect.

By the numbers

Young 33-of-51 for 331 with two touchdowns and no interceptions; 8 rushes for 60 with two rushing scores; the highest rushing line of his calendar. Stokes 9 catches for 110 with a touchdown. Owens 7 catches for 79 with a score. Hearst 65 on 15 carries; the running game produced 130 yards total. Defensively the front produced one sack of Manning; Faulk's 103 rushing was the most the unit has surrendered.

Personnel watch