49ers Wake Up Late, Put Cowboys to Rest

IRVING, Tex. —  Quarterback Steve Young, making his first start of the season Sunday, rescued a lethargic San Francisco offense with a fourth-quarter scoring pass to Jerry Rice to help give the 49ers a 31-14 victory over the winless Dallas Cowboys.

The 49ers earned their fifth road victory against a single loss at home--to the Rams--while the Cowboys dropped to 0-6, their worst start since 1960.

Joe Montana sat out with a sore elbow and the Cowboys, playing their first game without Herschel Walker, made it a battle.

Two big defensive plays, a blocked field goal cashed in for a touchdown, and Tom Holmoe’s interception, helped keep the 49ers from becoming the first team to lose to new Dallas Coach Jimmy Johnson.

With the game tied, 14-14, in the fourth period, Holmoe intercepted a Steve Walsh pass and returned it 23 yards to the Dallas 20-yard line.

On third down from the eight, Young lobbed a touchdown pass to Rice, who beat cornerback Everson Walls with 11:39 to play.

Young later passed to Tom Rathman for a 36-yard gain to set up Mike Cofer’s clinching 31-yard field goal. Young also scrambled 22 yards to position the 49ers for Roger Craig’s one-yard scoring run with 1:57 left.

“It was a 10 a.m. (West Coast time) game for us, and we didn’t wake up until 1 or 2 p.m.,” said 49er Coach George Seifert. “Every game is a dogfight for us.”

Seifert said he thought about putting Montana in the game in the third period.

“It just flashed through my mind,” Seifert said. “We wanted to get through this game without using Joe because of his bruised elbow and artificial turf isn’t good on it. I’m glad we didn’t use him.”

About playing without Walker, Johnson said: “We lost a great player in Herschel but it made our other players look at each other and do their part.”

However, the Cowboys managed only 46 yards rushing.

San Francisco went ahead 14-7 in the third period when Stan Wallace blocked Roger Ruzek’s 43-yard field goal attempt and Johnny Jackson returned it 62 yards for a touchdown.