49ers’ 80-yard fourth-quarter drive beats NFC champ Cardinals 20-16

49ers beat Arizona 20-16 with late 80-yard drive

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Shaun Hill and the rest of San Francisco’s offense had an awful second half, except for one magnificent possession.

Hill directed a 15-play, 80-yard drive for the winning touchdown on a 3-yard pass to Frank Gore with 7:26 to go, and the 49ers spoiled the season debut of defending NFC champion Arizona with a 20-16 victory over the Cardinals on Sunday.

Arizona rallied from 10 points down to go up 16-13 on Neil Rackers’ 44-yard field goal with 14:52 to play, but the 49ers regained control with the drive that used up nearly half of the final quarter.

The Cardinals unfurled their NFC championship banner before the game, then watched their offense — No. 2 in the NFL last season — sputter most of the afternoon in Arizona’s first loss to an NFC West foe in two seasons.

After the 49ers had to punt from their 1 late in the game, the Cardinals had first down at the San Francisco 39.

But a false start penalty and a holding call pushed Arizona back 15 yards and the threat ended when Warner was leveled by Justin Smith as he threw on fourth-and-5 at the San Francisco 33 with 1:51 to play.

Arizona had it once more, this time at the 46 at the finish, but another fierce rush by Smith forced Warner’s fumble as the game ended.

The Cardinals held Gore to 30 yards in 22 carries and sacked Hill four times, but Arizona committed 12 penalties for 82 yards and had its pass protection break down at crucial times.

Hill completed 18 of 31 passes for 209 yards and one touchdown and wasn’t intercepted. Warner was 26 of 44 for 288 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions.

Arizona’s Tim Hightower caught 12 passes for 121 yards, the second-most receptions by a running back in Cardinals history. Larry Fitzgerald, who didn’t make a catch until the final seconds of the first half, had six for 71 yards. Anquan Boldin, playing despite a sore hamstring, caught one for five yards.

Arizona was without its No. 3 receiver Steve Breaston because of a sprained kneecap.

The 49ers went three-and-out on five of their six possessions in the second half.

But one drive was a doozy.

After the Cardinals had scored 13 points in a row to take the lead, Hill drove the team downfield, converting four third-down opportunities in the process, two on passes to the venerable Isaac Bruce.

On third-and-goal at the 3, the 49ers sent Gore out on the flat and no one followed him. He caught the short pass and scored with no one near him.

Arizona tied it at 13 with a seven-play, 69-yard touchdown drive in the third quarter. Rookie Beanie Wells had runs of 15 and 8 yards, then Warner connected with Hightower on a 23-yard play to the San Francisco 4.

After Arizona lost one, Warner rolled right and found Fitzgerald for the Cardinals’ first TD of the season to tie it with 4:11 left in the third quarter.

The 49ers had 3 yards rushing in the first half and still led 13-6, thanks in part to two interceptions by Warner and eight penalties for 58 yards against Arizona.

Gore had 14 yards in 10 carries through two quarters, but his 6-yarder for a touchdown put San Francisco up 13-3 with 2:23 left in the half.

The game’s lone touchdown of the half was set up by Hill’s 50-yard pass to a wide-open Bruce on third-and-10.

Moments later, Nate Clements intercepted Warner’s pass at the Arizona 34 and San Francisco seemed headed for another score. But Darnell Dockett sacked Hill, then on third-and-20 the 49ers quarterback was hit as he threw by blitzing Antrel Rolle. It was initially called an incomplete pass, but the play was reviewed and ruled a fumble, giving Arizona the ball at its 40 with 1:15 left.

The Cardinals advanced to the San Francisco 11, and after Warner overthrew Fitzgerald in the end zone, Rackers kicked a 29-yarder as the half ended to cut it to 13-6.