Kaepernick, 49ers stomp Jaguars, 42-10
LONDON -- Led by quarterback Colin Kaepernick, the San Francisco 49ers started strong and didn't let up, demolishing the Jacksonville Jaguars 42-10 at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
The 49ers (6-2) have won five games in a row, scoring at least 31 points in each victory, something the franchise last accomplished in five consecutive games in 1997.
"San Francisco (is) a very good team," Jaguars coach Gus Bradley said. "We knew that coming in. They do a really good job running the ball and getting explosive plays and we need to react accordingly and I thought we missed some opportunities."
The Jaguars (0-8) have lost their last 13 games, dating back to week 13 of the 2012 season. The last victory for Jacksonville was Nov. 25, a 24-19 win over Tennessee. Jacksonville has not been within one score of its opponent in the fourth quarter in any game this season.
Kaepernick scored two touchdowns and hit tight end Vernon Davis with a 2-yard TD pass to build a 28-0 lead. Frank Gore opened the scoring with a 19-yard run, coming at the end of a 76-yard drive following the opening kickoff.
"The touchdown run, the first one I believe it was, he saw a window and it was closing fast and he got up in it," 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said. "He looked much like a running back and that's great courage. You don't always see that in the quarterback position."
The next three scoring drives were 80, 72 and 63 yards. Jacksonville punted after each San Francisco score and gained only 56 total yards until Josh Scobee kicked a 38-yard field goal with 15 seconds left in the first half to cut the lead to 28-3.
Kaepernick completed 10 of 16 passes for 164 yards, and ran for 54 yards on seven carries. Gore had 71 yards on 19 attempts.
"The offense came out very strong and put together great drives, scoring drives," Harbaugh said.
Jacksonville didn't roll over in the second half, as some suspected they did in last week's 28-6 loss to San Diego. The Jaguars mounted two long drives in the second half, but failed to score both times on fourth down plays from inside the San Francisco 10.
On the first possession of the third period, Jacksonville drove 15 plays and 80 yards to get a first down at the 49ers' 7-yard line. Quarterback Chad Henne (29 of 45, 228 yards) threw two incompletions and another pass for a 2-yard loss and the Jaguars lost the ball on downs.
In the fourth quarter, the Jaguars went on a 17-yard drive that reached the 49ers' 4-yard line. A fourth-down pass from Henne to Maurice Jones-Drew was stopped three yards short of the goal line by Tramaine Brock.
Drew gained 75 yards on 19 attempts and had his longest run of the season with a 30-yard gain.
Jacksonville managed a gift touchdown in the third quarter, after Jason Babin forced Gore to fumble, with Russell Allen recovering at the 49ers' 28. Three plays later, Henne threw a 29-yard TD pass to Mike Brown.
San Francisco quickly answered after Kendall Hunter ran for a 41-yard gain on first down to the Jaguars' 13. Gore scored his second TD, from the 2-yard line, three plays after that.
The 49ers got a defensive score on the Jaguars' next possession, when Patrick Willis stripped the ball from tight end Marcedes Lewis following a catch from Henne. Dan Skuta scooped up the ball and ran 45 yards for a touchdown.
"The bye week is coming at a good time," said Bradley. "I think we can take this time to really evaluate where we are at with our whole team, offensive, defense and special teams and recommit to take the next step."
NOTES: The Jaguars will return to London for the next three years as part of the NFL's series of games over the Atlantic. The Jags will play Dallas -- one of three NFL games in London in 2014. ... The 49ers and the Jaguars have rarely played since Jacksonville got an NFL franchise for the 1995 season. Prior to Sunday's loss, the Jags had led San Francisco 2-1, winning both games in Jacksonville, 41-3 in 1999 and 10-9 in 2005. The 49ers won 20-3 in 2009. ... After getting outscored 56-10 in their two early losses, the 49ers have outscored their last five opponents 174-61. ... Jacksonville won't play at home until Nov. 17 against Arizona. The Jaguars have a bye week coming up and then play at Tennessee on Nov. 10. San Francisco also has a bye next week. ... The long drives that resulted in zero points for the Jaguars in the second half continued their red-zone problems. Jacksonville entered the game last in the NFL in scoring once crossing the opposition 20-yard line.
