Seifert Wins Against Old Team

George Seifert’s knack for winning in San Francisco hasn’t deserted him now that he’s coaching the Carolina Panthers.

Carolina scored 24 second-quarter points and hung on to beat the 49ers, 31-29, Sunday, stopping San Francisco’s club-record home winning streak at 19 games and giving Seifert the victory in his first meeting against the team that dumped him 2 1/2 years ago.

“It was an important, exciting win for Carolina,” said Seifert, who also earned his 100th coaching victory. “I’ve got close ties with players and coaches and I’ve won and lost with guys over there. But with the way this game goes, you can be on another planet and not realize where you are. I’m about as spent as I’ve ever been.”

Steve Beuerlein threw for four touchdowns, including seven- and 33-yard strikes to Patrick Jeffers. Wesley Walls caught a 25-yard touchdown and Muhsin Muhammad had a 22-yard scoring catch.

The Panthers (2-3) withstood two 49er defensive scores, including Mark McMillian’s 41-yard return off Tshimanga Biakabutuka’s fourth-quarter fumble, and foiled the potential tying two-point conversion by pressuring Jeff Garcia into an incompletion after he threw an 11-yard touchdown to Jerry Rice with 1:28 left.

It was San Francisco’s first loss at home in 18 games under Steve Mariucci, brought in as Seifert’s replacement before the 1997 season even though Seifert won two Super Bowls as the 49er coach.

“I don’t care what you say. It was not just another game,” said Walls, who played for Seifert in San Francisco and now Carolina. “These things have to be special, I’m sure for him too. There is a special feeling in this locker room and part of it is that we beat the 49ers.”