Aug 30, 2008 - 1:57 AM
0 shoutsBy Tom Kent PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- Charlie Whitehurst threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Eldra Buckley with 29 seconds left to give the San Diego Chargers a 20-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Friday in the preseason finale for both teams.
The winning drive was set up when Robert Ortiz fumbled a punt on the 49ers 17 with 1:51 left. Whitehurst, a former star at Clemson, led the eight-play drive that secured the win for the Chargers, who host the Carolina Panthers in their season opener on September 7.
Former overall first-round pick Alex Smith, who will begin the season as the backup to J.T. O'Sullivan, started the game and completed 12-of-17 passes for 146 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown strike to reserve tight end Billy Bajema midway through the final quarter that opened a 17-13 advantage for San Francisco, which opens the season at home on September 7 against Arizona.
Backup tight end Delanie Walker scored San Francisco's first touchdown, returning a kickoff 101 yards in the second quarter to forge a 10-10 tie.
The Chargers sat out most of their starters, including quarterback Philip Rivers and running back LaDainian Tomlinson.
Billy Volek started for San Diego and played one series, completing all six of his pass attempts for 55 yards, including a six-yard touchdown toss to fullback Mike Tolbert.
Tolbert caught three passes for 32 yards. An undrafted rookie out of Coastal Carolina, he has looked good in the preseason and is hoping to assume the starting fullback position previously held by Lorenzo Neal, who was let go by the Chargers in offseason.
San Diego linebacker Shawne Merriman, who has decided to forego season-ending surgery in order to play this year, was inactive but did participate in warmups with the first-team defense.
From the Bleachers
-
SAN DIEGO: 20
SAN FRANCISCO: 17
Final
Aug 30 12:57 AM -
NFL
TD SDG
ELDRA BUCKLEY 3 YD PASS FROM CHARLIE WHITEHURST
(NATE KAEDING KICK)
SAN DIEGO 20
SAN FRANCISCO 17 0:29 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Aug 30 12:51 AM -
SAN DIEGO: 13
SAN FRANCISCO: 17
End of 3rd
Aug 30 12:05 AM -
NFL
TD SFO
BILLY BAJEMA 22 YD PASS FROM ALEX D. SMITH
(RICKY SCHMITT KICK)
SAN DIEGO 13
SAN FRANCISCO 17 8:24 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Aug 29 11:45 PM -
SAN DIEGO: 13
SAN FRANCISCO: 10
Halftime
Aug 29 11:24 PM -
NFL
FG SDG
NATE KAEDING 35 YD
SAN DIEGO 13
SAN FRANCISCO 10 1:06 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Aug 29 11:16 PM -
NFL
TD SFO
DELANIE WALKER 101 YD KICKOFF RETURN
(JOE NEDNEY KICK)
SAN DIEGO 10
SAN FRANCISCO 10 5:42 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Aug 29 11:03 PM -
NFL
FG SDG
NATE KAEDING 49 YD
SAN DIEGO 10
SAN FRANCISCO 3 5:55 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Aug 29 11:01 PM -
SAN DIEGO: 7
SAN FRANCISCO: 3
End of 1st
Aug 29 10:37 PM -
NFL
FG SFO
JOE NEDNEY 52 YD
SAN DIEGO 7
SAN FRANCISCO 3 4:35 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Aug 29 10:26 PM -
NFL
TD SDG
MIKE TOLBERT 6 YD PASS FROM BILLY VOLEK
(NATE KAEDING KICK)
SAN DIEGO 7
SAN FRANCISCO 0 7:31 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Aug 29 10:20 PM
