Down 24-7 at the half, the San Francisco 49ers had to come out of the locker room with a new mentality to start a rally against the Houston Texans. Unfortunately, the team continued to struggle on offense in the second half, and the Niners fell 30-7 to the Texans on Saturday evening at Candlestick Park.
Second string quarterback Colin Kaepernick had trouble throughout the game and completed only 6 of 16 passes for 52 yards. Alex Smith did not make an appearance in the second half, as coach Jim Harbaugh wanted to see what Kaepernick had to offer.
Running back Kendall Hunter played well, picking up 40 yards on eight rushing attempts. Frank Gore suited up and was available on the sidelines, but he did not see any game action.
The second half was bereft of offense on either side, as both the Texans and Niners were unable to find the endzone. Matt Leinart played quarterback for the Texans in the second half, completing 7/10 passes.
Harbaugh used this game to take a look at his depth, and it's difficult to determine if his evaluation process was successful at this juncture. The lack of playing time for Alex Smith is quite puzzling, as the third preseason game is usually reserved for playing the starters as much as possible.
Head on over to Niners Nation to discuss the game and the 49ers.