Niners take the Battle of the Bay

The Raiders put up a tough fight, but not being able to stop the run and a continuation of the offense's red zone issues from last year cost them as the Niners took the annual "Battle of the Bay" preseason game at Candlestick Park.

Oakland had a 14-3 lead going into the fourth quarter but could have been up by more. They started a late first quarter drive from the Niners' 7 yard line after a Ricky Brown interception but failed to score after four shots at the end zone. That misfire came back to haunt them as the Niners rolled up 18 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to take a 21-14 lead.

The Raiders threatened again late in the game when QB Charlie Frye scored on a 14 yard TD run and cut the lead to 21-20. Coach Tom Cable elected to go for the lead but the two point conversion failed.

The defense managed to stop the Niners on their next possession but rookie Nick Miller fumbled on the ensuing punt return. The Niners then ran the clock out to end the game.

Rookie Louis Murphy, the fourth round pick who started the game alongside fellow rookie wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, opened the game's scoring with a 24 yard touchdown catch from Jamarcus Russell. Murphy wound up leaving the game in the second quarter with 2 catches for 34 yards.

Another young player who helped his chances for making the roster was Brandon Meyers, a rookie tight end taken in the sixth round of the 2009 draft. Myers finished with 4 catches for 75 yards and a touchdown.

The game's biggest story though was the Raiders' inability to stop the Niners' running backs. San Francisco ran up over 300 yards rushing, including 129 yards by rookie Glen Coffee in the first half.

SBI's Mike Wagaman will be following up with a full breakdown of tonight's game tommorrow.