49ers 33, Seahawks 17
Ted Ginn Jr. returned a kickoff 102 yards and a punt 55 yards for touchdowns within a one-minute span late in the fourth quarter to make a winner out of Jim Harbaugh in his NFL head coaching debut as the San Francisco 49ers defeated the visiting Seattle Seahawks 33-17 on Sunday.
Ginn’s electric kickoff return was a quick response to a 55-yard touchdown pass from Tarvaris Jackson to Doug Baldwin that cut what was once a 16-point Niners lead to 19-17 late in the fourth quarter.
Then, after the Seahawks failed to move the ball on their next possession, Ginn returned a punt up the middle of the field for his second touchdown.
Alex Smith led a conservative offense in Harbaugh’s debut. Smith finished 15 for 20 for 124 yards. He did run the two-minute drill to perfection late in the first half, going 4 for 4 for 29 yards on the drive and scoring from a yard out to give the 49ers a 16-0 lead at the half.
David Akers added four short field goals for the 49ers.
Jackson had an uneven Seattle debut. He hit Golden Tate with an 8-yard score early in the second half, and Seattle later closed the gap to 16-10 on a 39-yard field goal by Steve Hauschka.
But Jackson, who replaced longtime Seahawk quarterback Matt Hasselback, also threw an interception and lost two fumbles.
The Seahawks played without receiver Sidney Rice (shoulder), who they signed in the offseason from Minnesota.