Surprising 49ers Hold On For Upset of Seahawks

49ers 20, Seahawks 14

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 19 -- Frank Gore ran wild, and then the San Francisco 49ers' defense finished off another surprising victory for a long-suffering club.

Gore rushed for a franchise-record 212 yards, and San Francisco's maligned defense stopped the Seattle Seahawks three times in the final 4 1/2 minutes of the 49ers' third straight victory, 20-14, on Sunday.

Alex Smith threw a touchdown pass and rushed for another score for the 49ers (5-5), who went scoreless in the second half. But they still hung on to snap a six-game losing streak against their NFC West rivals, the defending conference champs.

San Francisco jumped to a 20-0 halftime lead. But the Niners' first three-game winning streak since 2002 wasn't secure until its defense -- which has given up just 30 points in its last 3 1/2 games -- stopped Seattle's final three drives.

"I think we've gained some respect," linebacker Brandon Moore said. "People are going to have to respect us now. It's the same team, but we've come together so much more."

Gore broke Charlie Garner's team record of 201 yards on a 17-yard romp in the final seconds, but only after he fumbled with less than two minutes left to give Seattle (6-4) a second chance. Seahawks quarterback Seneca Wallace then threw his third interception, directly to cornerback Walt Harris.

San Francisco's Joe Nedney, who had never missed a field goal shorter than 30 yards before blowing two in this game, hooked a 27-yarder with 34 seconds left. But the Seahawks ran out of time, with Wallace failing to get them over midfield on four plays.