49ers gets first win of Singletary era with rout of Rams

By Greg Beacham - The Associated Press

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SAN FRANCISCO — After Shaun Hill flung himself across the goal line to score the third touchdown in the 49ers' 28-point second quarter, he flipped the ball to center Eric Heitmann for the celebratory spike.

Humbled and educated by several seasons as a backup, Hill just doesn't see himself as an extraordinary Joe — even though Joe Montana is the only other San Francisco quarterback who ever did what Hill accomplished during a skid-stopping win over the miserable St. Louis Rams.

Hill threw two touchdown passes and Frank Gore rushed for another score during the Niners' runaway quarter in a 35-16 victory Sunday, snapping their six-game losing streak and getting interim coach Mike Singletary's first victory.

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Seven weeks of frustration and turmoil for the 49ers (3-7) were briefly forgotten during this impressive 15 minutes. San Francisco forced three turnovers by Marc Bulger to score four offensive touchdowns in one quarter for just the second time in the history of a franchise that's had some remarkable offenses.

Montana threw four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter at Philadelphia in December 1989. Hill was making just his fourth career start, but had a perfect passer rating at halftime before coolly improving 3-0 as a starter at Candlestick Park.

"Don't be surprised when things like that happen," said Hill, who went 15 of 20 for 213 yards. "We do have the ability to play like that. You can't be surprised or caught off-guard by it. ... We have to enjoy this win. It's been a long time since we've had this feeling, but we can't approach tomorrow any differently than if we had lost."

Vernon Davis and Bryant Johnson caught touchdown passes in San Francisco's first win since Sept. 21 against Detroit, back when the 49ers were above .500 with a different coach and starting quarterback. Singletary had lost twice, including last Monday's tough defeat in Arizona, since taking over for Mike Nolan and replacing J.T. O'Sullivan with Hill.

"I'm very humbled by it," said Singletary, who briefly choked up when he mentioned his late parents. "I just thought about them, and if they could see that. I'm very thankful and very proud, more so for the guys than for myself, because they deserve it."

Gore rushed for 106 yards and two touchdowns, making several gritty runs in the first half as the Niners took advantage of Bulger's blunders to match the highest-scoring period in franchise history. The 49ers didn't score after leaping to a 35-3 halftime lead, but Bulger's fumble and two ghastly interceptions in the second quarter doomed the Rams (2-8), who have dropped four in a row.

"We were well-prepared schematically. We just didn't execute," said Bulger, who went 34 of 53 for 295 yards.

"It's up to us to make plays, and we're not doing it."

After Davis caught a short touchdown pass early in the second quarter, San Francisco's next three touchdowns all were set up by Bulger. Gore carried on four consecutive plays for a score after Bulger's fumble on a snap, and Hill threw himself over the goal line for a 1-yard touchdown run about 4½ minutes later.

Johnson capped the rally with a 2-yard TD catch 34 seconds before halftime on a well-placed fade from Hill, who had a 158.3 passer rating at halftime, going 12 of 14 for 192 yards. San Francisco had 201 yards and 11 first downs in the second quarter alone.

"I was having so much fun," left tackle Joe Staley said.

"It seemed like everything we were doing in the first half, it was just money."