49ers Stage a Gold Rush in 35-13 Victory

Garrison Hearst and the San Francisco 49ers never gave Barry Sanders a chance to get started.

Hearst ran for a team-record 198 yards in 24 carries and Steve Young threw for one touchdown and ran for another as the 49ers beat the Detroit Lions, 35-13, on Monday night.

“We played against the best running back and we stopped him tonight,” said Hearst, who handed the game ball to his father in the stands after the game. “I did good, but Barry’s the man.”

The victory was San Francisco’s 16th in a row at home in the regular season and it kept the 49ers (11-3) a game behind Atlanta in the NFC West with two games remaining.

Sanders had only 28 yards in 14 carries against an inspired San Francisco defense, which gave up a season-high 203 yards rushing last week in a 31-28 overtime win at Carolina--its first game without All-Pro tackle Bryant Young, out for the season with a broken leg.

“I think the statement was made up front,” Hearst said. “We’re missing a key player in B.Y., and those guys came to play tonight.”

San Francisco hardly needed its league-leading passing attack, setting a team record with 328 rushing yards. Young was only 12 for 18 passing for 82 yards.

“It’s a little different style for the West Coast system,” 49er Coach Steve Mariucci said. “It was going for us and we were trying to wear them down and we were getting yards on every pop so we just stayed with it.”

Hearst scored the 49ers’ first touchdown with 4:41 left in the first quarter and had 127 yards by halftime. He was taken out of the game late in the fourth quarter after passing the 49ers’ previous single-game rushing high of 194 yards by Delvin Williams in 1976.

Detroit (5-9) was eliminated from playoff contention with the loss and the Lions also lost quarterback Charlie Batch in the second quarter. He went out with a lower back injury after being sacked by Chris Doleman and Brentson Buckner.

Frank Reich replaced Batch and was 18 for 35 for 281 yards and two touchdowns--both in the fourth quarter with the game long decided. The Lions had turned the ball over on downs and on a Reich interception in the second quarter after having first-and-goal situations at the San Francisco one.