After the 49ers turnover, the Buccaneers take over and get a two-yard run, they start the second quarter at 2nd-and-8 on the 13-yard line. Josh Freeman is drilled and fires deep, but cornerback Carlos Rogers gets in front of it, picks it off, cuts across the field and takes it all the way back for a touchdown. The David Akers extra point makes it 14-3 and the fumble doesn't look so bad after all.
Tampa Bay gets the ball and ends up with a third down, but a 17-yard pass from Freeman to Kellen Winslow converts. A sixteen-yard reception to Arrelious Benn followed, taking the Bucs across the 50-yard line. Patrick Willis stops a potential big gain on first down, wrapping up Blount after four yards on the toss outside. Then it's Chris Culliver, picking off Freeman on a pass intended for former 49er Micheal Spurlock, and the 49ers get set to drive again.
Twelve yards to Joshua Morgan to start the drive, followed by a six-yard run from Frank Gore. The reception to Morgan was at the sidelines, and it was a great catch. Then it's Gore again on 2nd-and-4, he finds a hole on the left side and gets a big gain. Alex Smith goes deep to Vernon Davis in the endzone on first down and Dekoda Watson is called for pass interference. The 49ers set up on 1st-and-goal at the one-yard line. Gore is stuffed to start, and the 49ers line up showing another run. This time, Gore makes it in from two-yard and a Davis Akers extra point makes it 21-3. It made sense to run the ball with Gerald McCoy out with an injury.
Tampa Bay gets set at the 13-yard line, and two plays later have a 3rd-and-8. Freeman throws to the right sideline, but it's out of bounds and they have to punt. If you blinked, you missed it.
Gore gets the carry with just over six minutes to go, and gets six yards. Then he takes it up the left side and bounces out, evading a tackle and ending up with a very solid 21 yards. Then the 49ers run into a wall, and David Akers is called on to kick a 37-yard field goal. It's good, and the 49ers lead 24-3.
Tarell Brown gets in front of another pass and tips it away, but can't secure the interception on a deep pass from Freeman to kick off the Buccaneers' drive. An incompletion and a sack from Aldon Smith seals another three-and-out for Tampa Bay. Ted Ginn comes one broken tackle short of breaking a big one, but has a respectable 29-yard return and the 49ers set up shop at the TB 45-yard line.
The 49ers can't get anything done on this drive though, throwing two incompletions and getting only two yards from Frank Gore. Andy Lee comes on to punt, and hangs it up there good. The Buccaneers have to call a fair catch with the ball back on the five-yard line, it's a 38-yard punt.
And, naturally, the drive goes nowhere. They pick up a first down through the air, but the 49ers eventually get the ball back. There's two penalties on the kick return that should have went for 50+ yards, and they're offsetting. The referees clearly say "offsetting", but place it at the "end of the kick", which is odd. The 49ers get the ball way back and just let the clock run out to end the half. They lead 24-3, and will receive for the second half.