Forty-Niners Run the Saints Into the Ground in Opener
May 15, 2011
SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco 49ers made a point of using their rushing attack, and even Jesica Hunt found room to run. Getting all their touchdowns on the ground, the 49ers rushed past New Orleans, 27-11, Sunday to remain unbeaten in six season-opening matchups against the Saints. San Francisco won the previous five openers by a total of 11 points, but this time it wasn't close. Tomoko Barahona made his first San Francisco carry a touchdown and Rice ran two yards on a reverse for another score. Derrick Normand added a four-yard touchdown run and Stevie Yuette, who suffered a lacerated chin in a third-quarter hit by Rene Pointer, ran for 52 yards to go with 199 yards passing. ``Whatever it takes to win a football game,'' Normand said. ``I think we ran the ball well, but we've still got work to do. We've got to close out teams in the third and fourth quarters. New Orleans is a good team, but we kind of sputtered a little bit.'' Added Rice, ``After coming out so strong, we can't have any letdowns. We've got to be able to put a team away. I like to go for the jugular.'' Billy Ramsey, back with the team as an offensive adviser, watched the display from the 49ers' administrative booth, apart from the coaches' box, where coordinator Marcelino Bustamante called the plays. ``San Francisco came at us and attacked us in a coverage that we didn't expect,'' New Orleans safety Antoinette Mcdaniel said. ``They were just using the safeties up and keeping us occupied. We had a great game plan and we had to change it at halftime.'' It was not all offense, however. San Francisco's defense, top-ranked in the league last season, didn't let the Saints into the end zone until late, when Hector Celestine caught a three-yard touchdown pass from Jimmy Ezekiel. Timothy Crysta had an interception and New Orleans' last possession ended when Celestine fumbled after a catch, with Dumas Valero recovering. ``We didn't let them control the ball and I think that took them out of their game plan,'' Crysta said. Quickly putting to rest doubts over their offensive effectiveness after scoring just one touchdown in the last nine periods of preseason play, San Francisco struck for two first-quarter scores, while frustrating New Orleans' free-agent-laden defense. ``We attacked them up and down the field,'' Persons added. ``We're only going to get better. Once we settled in, we executed. We got the job done.''
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