49ers Riddle Raiders Again, 42-16 : Los Angeles Starts on the Wrong Foot, Just as It Did in ’86

It’s a good thing the Raiders have worked hard in camp. Imagine what might have happened if they had not been ready.

The San Francisco 49ers, who beat them, 32-0, in the exhibition opener a year ago, did much the same thing this time around, scoring a 42-16 victory Saturday night before a crowd of 47,191 at the Coliseum.

They’re going to have to stop meeting this way.

The Raiders were outgained, 441 yards to 192. Actually, they were outgained by one man, Steve Young, starting in place of the injured Joe Montana. Young completed 20 of 27 passes, led all rushers with 61 yards in 6 carries and wound up with 308 yards of total offense by himself.

His opposite number, the closely watched Rusty Hilger, had a more difficult time in his first pro start. His first pass was incomplete. He was sacked on his second attempt. His third was dropped in the open by Jessie Hester. If the Raiders can’t find anyone to block and catch for Hilger, all they’re going to have is a shorter Marc Wilson.

In all, you could say that Hilger survived to play quarterback another day, completing 5 of his 13 passes, including a 35-yarder for a touchdown to his camp roommate, Mark Pattison.

“You anticipate this early in preseason, it’s going to be a little ragged, you’re not going to be a real machine, “ Raider Coach Tom Flores said. “But I was a little disappointed we didn’t do better than we did.”

The real winners and losers for the Raiders:

--Hester. The No. 1 pick in 1985 bobbles on. After dropping one pass, he fumbled the second one thrown to him. The Raiders have never made a big thing of his drops, but now they have a young quarterback trying to establish himself, and Flores made mention of the bobbles, which “just kill you.” One receiver still has to go, and the odds on Jessie just got shorter.

--Pattison. His catch was truly sensational, a diving grab in which he caught only the back half of the ball and then somehow managed to hang on when he hit the ground. A No. 7 pick in 1985, Pattison has been knocking on the door for three years, and now it may open.

--Chris Woods. Not that the new kick-returner from the Canadian League was on shaky ground, but he broke a punt return 56 yards for a touchdown with a couple of neat moves and a lot of speed.

--The punting game. The Raiders have to find a successor to Ray Guy. Stan Talley, the front-runner, was low and short. Ray Criswell’s first two weren’t much, either.

--Ed Luther. Playing the second half behind the No. 2 makeshift line, he was sacked six times (last year the 49ers sacked Hilger eight times in the second half) and threw an interception to San Francisco linebacker Bob White, who returned it for a touchdown.

With two starters reporting late, the Raiders were unable to field anything resembling a No. 1 offensive line, and it showed. The offense went 22 yards and had two turnovers in its first four possessions.

Meanwhile, led by the dashing Young, the 49ers ransacked the Raider defense. Young had a 34-yard dash around left end to help a 64-yard drive on the first 49er possession. He marched them 56 yards for a touchdown on his second.

At halftime, the 49ers led, 21-16. San Francisco Coach Bill Walsh let Young stay in for the third period, and Young uncorked several more drives. One died at the Raider one when Young was run out of bounds trying to sweep right end on a fourth-and-goal. Another ended at the four when Bill Ring fumbled.

Finally, Young took them all the way again, on a 49-yard drive after Criswell’s 32-yard punt.

Were the 49ers through? No. White picked off Luther’s pass and returned it 27 yards to give San Francisco a 35-16 lead.

Were the 49ers through? No. Bob Gagliano threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Nicholas.

Who’s Bob Gagliano?

Who’s Calvin Nicholas?

Who do you like in the 1988 exhibition opener? The Raiders are going to be hopping mad after the last two.

Raider Notes

Lester Hayes was scratched from the game after stretching a tendon in his left ankle in pregame warmups. Hayes says he may be out two weeks. . . . Rusty Hilger: “I was nervous before the game, which I think is human. By the time I got into it, even when it was 14-0 against us, I was really having fun out there. The butterflies were gone. I have a really, really good feeling about our offense. As long as we learn and grow from this.”