IT WASN’T A Thursday night football fixture to entice many to plan for a sleepless night, but the Rams and the 49ers delivered a thriller in Santa Clara.
Ending 41 – 39 to the Rams, the 80-point contest was a new record high points tally for the league’s troublesome curtain-raiser to the weekend fixtures.
Todd Gurley ran in two touchdowns and quarterback Jared Goff passed for almost 300 yards to take the LA franchise to 2-1 this season and break a three-game losing streak to the 49ers, who fell to 0-3 and are winless under new coach Kyle Shanahan.
Goff, who grew up and played college in the San Francisco area, completed 22 of 28 passes for 292 yards. He passed for an equal career-best three touchdowns, including one to Gurley, who finished with 113 yards rushing on 28 carries. Gurley also caught five passes for 36 yards.
Wide receiver Sammy Watkins caught six passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns, while Robert Woods had six catches for 108 yards.
San Francisco QB Brian Hoyer completed 23 of 37 passes for 332 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a score. However, he also threw the interception for the Rams’ opening touchdown and was picked again when attempting a late two-point conversion that would have levelled the game.
Wide receiver Pierre Garcon caught seven passes for 142 yards for the 49ers while running back Carlos Hyde rushed for 84 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries.
Los Angeles stretched their lead to 41-26 on Goff’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Watkins with 8:43 left.
Hoyer countered with a three-yard touchdown pass to Trent Taylor with just over five minutes to play, cutting the Rams’ lead to 41-33.
On the ensuing kickoff, 49ers wide receiver Victor Bolden stripped the ball from the Rams and San Francisco’s Aldrick Robinson recovered at the Rams’ 29 yard line.
On fourth-and-goal from the one, Hyde crashed into the endzone with 2:13 left to play, pulling the 49ers to within two points of the Rams. But the 49ers’ two-point try failed when Michael Brockers intercepted a Hoyer pass attempt.
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