The Game They Love to Hate : Rivalry: Rams and 49ers have been going at each other for 40 years. Sometimes the competition has gotten out of hand.

Jack Youngblood lay sprawled on the Candlestick Park grass, stretching with his teammates as the obscenity-laden taunts of the San Francisco 49er fans rang in his ears.

It was Dec. 14, 1984, and the Ram defensive end was preparing for the last regular-season game of his long and illustrious career.

“This is what I’m going to really miss,” he said, looking around. “This is really fun. “

The Rams and 49ers have been butting heads for 40 years. Monday night’s clash will be the 80th game of the series. The Rams hold a 47-30-2 advantage, but this is a rivalry that has more to do with emotion than numbers.

Maybe it’s just a natural geographic rivalry between two teams in the same division. Then again, maybe it’s a lot more than that.

“We always hated those Ram horns,” said R.C. Owens, a halfback with the 49ers from 1957-61 who combined with quarterback Y.A. Tittle to invent the “Alley Oop” pass, a version of today’s Hail Mary.

“In those days, the Rams were kind of like the 49ers are today. You know, they had Mr. Everything at every position,” Owens said. “Beating the Rams was it.

“Every game we played, we fought. We scratched. Hell, (Ram linebacker) Les Richter even bit.”

Owens will never forget his first game against the Rams on Oct. 6, 1957, when Tittle lobbed the “Alley Oop” and he outjumped the defenders to score a touchdown in the last two minutes that lifted the 49ers to a 23-20 victory.

But then the Rams and 49ers have produced a wealth of unforgettable moments. Here’s a quick look at 15 of the most memorable games:

49ERS 31, RAMS 30

Oct. 4, 1953, Kezar Stadium

With six seconds remaining, Gordy Soltau kicked a 12-yard field goal to give the 49ers the victory.

The Rams had built a 20-0 lead using a new, “split end” spread formation with Norm Van Brocklin throwing touchdown passes to Bob Boyd and Elroy Hirsch. But the 49ers’ Hugh McElhenny scored on a 71-yard swing-pass play with three minutes remaining to set the stage for Soltau’s last-second game-winner.

RAMS 56, 49ERS 7

Nov. 9, 1958, Coliseum

A “disappointing” crowd of 95,082 turned out to see the Rams hand the 49ers their worst defeat ever. The Rams had set up 5,000 extra bleacher seats after turning folks away when 100,470 had crammed into the Coliseum for a game against the Bears the week before.

The Ram fans who did show up got their money’s worth. Jon Arnett, Del Shofner, Lamar Lundy, and rookie Jim Phillips, to name a few, scored touchdowns.

RAMS 30, 49ERS 13

Nov. 29, 1970, Kezar Stadium

In what Ram Coach George Allen described as “the biggest game in five years,” the Rams handed San Francisco a setback that left some 49er fans weeping in their seats.

Willie Ellison scored three touchdowns and the Ram defense limited the 49ers to 71 yards and just four first downs in the second half as the Rams took over first place in the NFC West. The 49ers won their final three regular-season games, however, and made their first appearance in the NFC championship game, losing to Dallas, 17-10.

RAMS 20, 49ERS 13

Oct. 10, 1971, Candlestick Park

In their first game in Candlestick, the last-place Rams managed a come-from-behind victory over the first-place 49ers.

Playing without Roman Gabriel and Deacon Jones, the Rams finished with minus-18 yards passing, but Larry Smith’s 84-yard touchdown run gave first-year Coach Tommy Prothro his second victory in the pros.

49ERS 24, RAMS 23

Nov. 9, 1975, Coliseum

The Rams’ Tom Dempsey missed an extra point and Steve Mike-Mayer kicked a 54-yard field goal with 38 seconds remaining to propel the 49ers to victory.

San Francisco safety Ralph McGill, trying to block a kick, ran into Dempsey’s specially constructed shoe and was knocked unconscious.

RAMS 27, 49ERS 24

Sept. 16, 1979, Coliseum

The 49ers scored twice in the final 11 minutes to put a scare into the Super Bowl-bound Rams, who managed to hang on.

First-year Coach Bill Walsh was making his debut against the Rams and a 49er running back named O.J. Simpson was making his final appearance in the Coliseum. The former USC standout looked pretty frisky at the age of 32, gaining 73 yards in 17 carries.

49ERS 20, RAMS 17

Oct. 25, 1981, Candlestick Park

Ram kicker Frank Corral missed his fourth field goal of the day with 13 seconds left to play and the 49ers held on to win. It was the Rams’ first loss to the 49ers in San Francisco in 15 years.

Fred Dean sacked Pat Haden five times, but the 49ers didn’t do much else to end the streak. The Rams shot themselves in the foot. They were in 49er territory on 13 of 14 offensive possessions.

49ERS 33, RAMS 31

Nov. 23, 1981, Anaheim Stadium

Haden came in to relieve the ineffective Dan Pastorini and orchestrated fourth-quarter touchdown drives of 80 and 90 yards to give the Rams a 31-30 lead with 1:51 remaining.

But Joe Montana brought the 49ers back--drawing up two plays in the huddle during the drive--and Ray Wersching kicked a 37-yard field goal on the game’s last play to lift the 49ers to victory.

Seven consecutive wins later, San Francisco was celebrating its first Super Bowl victory.

RAMS 21, 49ERS 20

Jan. 2, 1982, Candlestick Park

A free agent from Delaware, Ivory Sully, blocked Wersching’s 24-yard field goal attempt with 1:57 left to preserve a Ram victory and knock the defending Super Bowl champions out of the playoffs during the strike-shortened 1982 season.

“I want to offer an apology,” Walsh said afterward. “I feel embarrassment and humiliation. We have some men who are Pro Bowl performers who played shoddy today.”

49ERS 45, RAMS 35

Oct. 23, 1983, Anaheim Stadium

Dwaine Board sacked Vince Ferragamo in the end zone, stole the ball for a touchdown and the 49ers came away with sole possession of first place in the NFC West.

That was one of the few defensive highlights of this game, however. Ferragamo completed 26 of 35 passes for 327 yards and five touchdowns. Montana hit on 25 of 39 for 358 and three touchdowns. And Eric Dickerson ran for 144 yards and had 46 more receiving.

49ERS 19, RAMS 16

Dec. 14, 1984, Candlestick Park

The 49ers won an NFL record 15th regular-season game, but the Rams rallied from a 17-3 first-quarter deficit.

The 49ers scored on their first three possessions, but, with Jeff Kemp at quarterback, the Rams came back. Kemp completed 11 of 22 passes for 180 yards and the game was in doubt until Gary (Big Hands) Johnson sacked Kemp in the end zone for a safety with 1:06 to play.

RAMS 27, 49ERS 20

Dec. 9, 1985, Candlestick Park

The Rams clinched the NFC West title in the third-to-last game of the season, scoring 17 fourth-quarter points when the ball bounced their way.

Henry Ellard scored on a 39-yard touchdown pass from Dieter Brock that was tipped by safety Ronnie Lott. And then the Rams’ Gary Green intercepted a deflected pass and returned it 41 yards for the winning touchdown with 3 1/2 minutes to play.

RAMS 16, 49ERS 13

Sept. 14, 1986, Anaheim Stadium

The Rams had only 100 yards of total offense when quarterback Steve Bartkowski engineered a 92-yard drive that ended with Mike Lansford’s 18-yard field goal with two seconds remaining to lift the Rams over the 49ers.

“We’re a long way from being a great football team, but we’re a football team with great heart,” Coach John Robinson said afterward.

49ERS 48, RAMS 0

Dec. 27, 1987, Candlestick Park

The battle of the backups--San Francisco’s Steve Young and the Rams’ Steve Dils--turned into a Ram nightmare. They suffered their worst loss in history as the 49ers clinched the NFC West title and the home-field advantage for the playoffs.

Young threw three first-half touchdown passes and Montana, who had a sore hamstring, came in to work out the kinks in the second half.

49ERS 24, RAMS 21

Oct. 16, 1988, Anaheim Stadium

With temperatures nearing 100 degrees--Ram defensive end Shawn Miller needed an intravenous infusion to recover from dehydration--the Rams wilted in the fourth quarter as the 49ers drove 93 yards for the winning touchdown.

San Francisco running back Roger Craig was plenty hot, too. He ran for a career-high 190 yards in 22 carries and scored three times.