On This Date in Sports September 6, 1998: Hearst to the House
The San Francisco 49ers open the season with a dramatic 36-30 overtime win against the New York Jets at 3com Park. The game was a back-and-forth battle as the lead changed hands five times. Steve Young and Glenn Foley had big passing games, with three touchdowns. However, Garrison Hearst was the game-breaker, winning the game with a 96-yard run in overtime.
The San Francisco 49ers were looking to return to the top under coach Steve Mariucci as they began the 1998 season. The previous season saw the Niners overcome the loss of Jerry Rice in the season opener and reach the NFC Championship Game, only to lose at home to the Green Bay Packers.
The New York Jets, meanwhile, were trying to show they were serious contenders in Bill Parcells' second season as coach. After going 1-15 in 1996, the Jets made great strides under Parcells, finishing 9-7 in 1997. In looking to move forward, the Jets turned back the clock and returned to the look they had when they played in Super Bowl III.
After the 49ers received the opening kickoff, the Jets' defense made the first big play, with Kevin Williams intercepting a Steve Young pass and setting the offense up at the San Francisco 27-yard line. The Jets could not get the ball in the end zone and settled for a 24-yard field goal by John Hall. After the two teams traded punts, the 49ers offense finally was able to move the ball and took the lead on a five-yard carry by Garrison Hearst.
The 49ers carried the momentum on to defense as Antonio Langham intercepted Glenn Foley on the first play of the season quarter. However, they could not capitalize as Wade Richey missed a 47-yard field goal attempt. From there, the Jets zoomed in front as Glenn Foley connected with Keyshawn Johnson on a 41-yard touchdown pass. Both teams punted on their next possession, with the Niners moving the ball down the field in the late stages of the second quarter to take a 14-10 lead on a six-yard strike from Steve Young to J.J. Stokes. Getting the ball back with two minutes, the Jets put together an impressive two-minute drill to go into the half with a 17-14 lead as Wayne Cherbet caught a six-yard pass from Foley.
After the Jets failed to score on their first possession of the second half, the Niners got a game-tying 22-yard field goal from Richey. On the ensuing possession, Foley hit Cherbet on a 48-yard pass play to spark a quick drive down the field to put New York back in front on a 21-yard catch by Keyshawn Johnson. The 49ers responded with a touchdown catch by Jerry Rice but failed to tie the game as Wade Richey missed the extra point. The Jets extended the lead to 27-24 on a 32-yard John Hall field goal. With the clock working against them, San Francisco moved the ball quickly down the field and took the lead with 1:32 left as Stokes made a 31-yard catch for his second touchdown. As they did at the end of the first half, the Jets responded as John Hall tied the game 30-30 on a field goal as regulation ended.
Both teams failed to move the ball on their first possession in overtime. The Jets could not move the ball on their second series in sudden death and were forced to punt near midfield. New York got a nice punt from Nick Gallery, pinning the Niners deep in their own territory. Looking to escape the shadow of the goal line, the 49ers called on Garrison Heart to run the ball. Instead of escaping the goal line, Heart found a hole and went all the way 96 yards, for the longest run in 49ers history and the longest overtime run in NFL history to win the game 36-30.
The Jets and 49ers would finish the season with a record of 12-4. The 49ers settled for second as the Atlanta Falcons finished one game ahead in the standings. In the playoffs, the Niners avenged Green Bay as Steve Young won a Wild Card game, completing a 25-yard pass to Terrell Owens to win 30-27. However, their season ended a week later with a 20-18 loss in Atlanta. The Jets, meanwhile, after a slow start, turned to Vinny Testaverde and had their best season in 30 years, winning their first division title since the merger in 1970. The Jets would go on to reach the AFC Championship Game, where they lost to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos 23-10.