Tuesday, November 26, 1991

BONO LEADS 49ERS PAST RAMS 33-10

Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- He'll probably never make anyone forget Joe Montana or even Steve Young, but on Monday night, being Steve Bono was plenty good enough.

Staging a passing show even Montana might envy, Bono threw for 306 yards, completing 18 of 33 passe s as the San Francisco 49ers buried the hapless Los Angeles Rams 33-10 in National Football League play.

Bono, a third-stringer thrust into a starting role because of injuries to Montana and Young, threw for 274 yards in the first half to stake San Francisco to a 30-3 lead. He threw only seven passes for 32 yards in the second half.

The 49ers went on to even their record at 6-6 and keep their playoff hopes alive while dealing the Rams (3-9) their sixth consecutive loss.

With Montana and Young watching, smiling and offering advice and lots of congratulations on the sidelines, Bono had by far the finest game of his seven NFL seasons.

Making his third consecutive start for the 49ers, Bono completed passes of 41 and 78 yards to set up the 49ers' first two scores; connected for 23 and 29 yards on their third touchdown drive; then had completions of 24 and 18 yards as they made it 30-0 late in the second quarter.

John Taylor had 100 yards in receptions by the end of the first quarter, on four catches that included a short pass he turned into a 78-yard gain. Taylor finished with 121 yards on six receptions.

Harry Syndey scored two of the first-half touchdowns, the first on a 1-yard run and the second on a 2-yard pass from Bono.

Tom Rathman also scored on a 1-yard run, and Dexter Carter added a 3-yard touchdown run.

Until Los Angeles drove to a 37-yard field goal by Tony Zendejas on the last play of the half, the Rams' offense was shut down by the 49ers.

A couple of plays in the first half seemed to sum up the Rams' futility:

On the kickoff after the 49ers' second touchdown, the ball bounced off the Rams' David Lang in the end zone and bounded back across the goal line. LA's Vernon Turner scooped up the ball on the 1-yard line and frantically scooted back into the end zone, where he was pinned by the 49ers' Darin Jordan for a safety that gave San Francisco a 16-0 lead.

In the second quarter, the Rams seemed to get a break when San Francisco's Sanjay Beach fumbled a punt on the 49ers' 37. But the Rams were called for holding on the play, had to punt again and the 49ers then drove to their fourth touchdown.

The Rams' only touchdown came on a 1-yard run by Marcus Dupree in the third quarter, the first NFL score for the former USFL star who is trying a comeback after being out of football for five years with a knee injury.