Hearst Is King of Castle

SAN FRANCISCO —  After the final whistle, Jeff Garcia handed the game ball to Garrison Hearst, who tossed it into the stands.

The San Francisco 49ers’ remarkable running back didn’t need another souvenir to remind him that his comeback had reached another height.

Hearst rushed for 145 yards against one of the NFL’s best run defenses, and Garcia threw four touchdown passes as the San Francisco 49ers beat the New Orleans Saints, 28-27, Sunday for their fifth victory in six games.

Garcia and his receivers provided the points, but Hearst was the backbone of the 49ers’ effort. He rolled up 119 yards rushing after halftime, including two long runs in the final minutes as San Francisco (6-2) ran out the clock for a gritty victory that snapped a three-game losing streak against the Saints.

“I was motivated to get back out there at the end of the game, [but] I’m always motivated,” Hearst said. “We just wanted to get the ball and control it. We practice that fourth-quarter offense a lot. Our line got big and mashed people.”

Hearst’s steady, smart running gave the 49ers everything they needed--and everything the Saints lacked from Ricky Williams, who fumbled and dropped a pass in the end zone in the fourth quarter.

Hearst, who missed the previous two seasons after breaking his leg in a playoff game in January 1999, had his best game since his improbable return to the 49ers. He admits his joints creak a bit more after two years away, but everything else is close to top form.

“He’s the man, and everybody knows he’s back,” 49er guard Ray Brown said. “He never gave up. For a guy who’s been through it like Garrison, this is a great thing.”

Hearst made runs of 23 and 17 yards on the final drive that forced New Orleans to call its final timeout, effectively ending the game.

“He was so smart,” 49er Coach Steve Mariucci said. “He ran for big first downs, and he stayed inbounds. We were able to finish the game with our offense on the field. We hadn’t done that.”

Garcia, who completed 21 of 34 passes for 252 yards, hit Terrell Owens with eight passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Garcia also found Eric Johnson for the go-ahead TD with 11:06 left.

The 49ers continued their surprising season with their first victory over a winning team while posting a key division win over the Saints (4-4), whose maligned offense moved the ball impressively but couldn’t score when it mattered most.

Joe Horn caught two scoring passes from Aaron Brooks, and John Carney kicked four field goals--but as has been the case all season, penalties and turnovers played a key role in the Saints’ downfall.

Williams ran for 121 yards, but his fumble in the fourth quarter set up San Francisco’s last touchdown drive. A few minutes later, two false-start penalties inside the 49er 20 pushed New Orleans out of easy scoring range--and Williams then dropped a pass in the end zone.

Willie Jackson caught 11 passes for 167 yards for the Saints.