Hyde, 49ers roll past Vikings 20-3, spoil Peterson’s return

Running back Carlos Hyde pulled off a highlightreel move for one score late in the first half and rushed for another touchdown in the fourth quarter to lead the San Francisco 49ers to a 203 firstweek victory here over the Minnesota Vikings, spoiling Adrian Peterson’s return to the NFL.

Monday night’s victory at Levi’s Stadium also marked a successful debut for the 49ers’ new head coach, Jim Tomsula, who replaced Jim Harbaugh.

Much of the media focus leading up to the game was on Peterson, a a sixtime AllPro running back who was suspended last year after being indicted by a jury in Texas, where the player lives, for physically abusing his fouryearold son.

But Peterson had a quiet night, earning just 31 yards on 10 carries, while Hyde rushed 26 times for 168 yards, tops for a running back in the opening week of the NFL season.

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick, meanwhile, turned in a workmanlike effort for the 49ers, completing 17 of his 26 pass attempts for 165 yards, rushing seven times for 41 yards and not throwing any interceptions.

The first half was marred by penalties, botched field goals and a fumbled punt by Australian former Rugby League star Jarryd Hayne in the first touch of his NFL career, but it ended with a spectacular run by Hyde, who started right, faked out a defensive lineman with a 360degree spin and then dove into the end zone for the game’s first score.

Hyde also scored on a 17yard run in the fourth quarter that gave San Francisco a twotouchdown cushion over the Vikings, who had cut the lead to 103 on Blair Walsh’s 37yard field goal.

The 49ers, who had an 85yard return touchdown by Bruce Ellington called back in the second quarter because of a pair of blockingintheback penalties, got their other points on two Phil Dawson field goals of 30 yards and 25 yards.

Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater completed 23 of 32 passes for 231 yards, but he was picked off once late in the game by San Francisco cornerback Tramaine Brock and was sacked five times, once when he was knocked to the turf by his own offensive lineman for a 10yard loss.

In one other game Monday night, the Atlanta Falcons edged the Philadelphia Eagles 2624.