The Cardinals are punting to start the second quarter, and the ball rolls to a top at the San Francisco 40 yard line. Alex Smith leads the 49ers onto the field with a singleback formation, and he hits tight end Vernon Davis for five yards over the middle. Frank Gore takes the second down handoff for four yards, but it looked like five. Either way, it brings up a 3rd and 1, and Smith goes for the quarterback sneak, getting the yard and a first down. They go with an empty backfield from the gun on the next play, and Smith hits Kyle Williams over the middle for a first down and then some. On the next play, it's a handoff to Gore, who picks up nine yards. Gore carries the ball again on second down, but it doesn't look like he gains anything. On third down, Smith fakes and then hits a wide open Michael Crabtree, for 12 yards. Smith would then go on to miss Crabtree with an overthrow in the back of the end zone. On second down, he hits him for a four-yard gain on a bubble screen, but can't complete the third down dumpoff to Frank Gore, and Akers will come out for his fifth field goal try. It's blocked - yet again. It's another line drive kick, the same he's been kicking all day, even in pregame warmups.
Arizona gets the ball at the 20-yard line. They get a big completion for a first down, 12 yards. Skelton throws to Fitzgerald and it's incomplete, and almost intercepted by NaVorro Bowman. A third down comes up, and Skelton overthrows his receiver. Chris Culliver almost picks it off, and they'll punt. Ted Ginn Jr. is brutalized by Stewart Bradley on the return - plus the 49ers are called for holding. They'll take over at the 14-yard line.
Frank Gore picks up 12 yards on the first play of the drive, and then he gets a few more on the next play, fitting through a gap that not many could have. Kyle Williams catches a ten-yard pass on second down, shrugging off a defender and likely earning himself some more snaps. Kendall Hunter takes the next run, picking up about five yards. Then, back to Hunter for a first-down reception and then some. Eventually, the 49ers end up with a 2nd down in which Gore gets close to the first down, but the ball gets a bad spot and Kendall Hunter can't pick up the first down on a third down run. San Francisco calls a timeout and it looks like they're going for it.
Kyle Williams is the lone receiver for the 49ers on the play, and he catches it for big yardage and a first down, as the clock rolls down to the two minute warning. Smith throws an incompletion on first down, and Gore is brought down for a one-yard loss on third down. The 49ers take a timeout, and David Akers drills a 29-yard field goal. Jonathan Goodwin almost lets the kick get blocked. But it's good, and San Francisco takes a 9-0 lead with :56 left in the first half. The kick is brought out by LaRod Stephens-Howling and he's brought down right at the 20 yard line.
Arizona completes a 16 yarder to Early Doucet, but are quickly faced with a 3rd and 2 after an incompletion. Skelton is pressured on third down, and throws an incompletion, bringing out the Cardinals punting unit. They punt, it falls, and the time runs out with the 49ers up 9-0 heading into the second half.