Travis Etienne ran for 124 yards and a touchdown Sunday, Trevor Lawrence added a passing touchdown and the Jacksonville Jaguars handed the San Francisco 49ers their first loss with a 26-21 decision in Santa Clara, Calif.
Improving to 3-1 under first-year coach Liam Coen, Jacksonville secured the win with a big defensive play on a day they forced four turnovers. Arik Armstead sacked Brock Purdy, causing a fumble that teammate Foyesade Oluokun recovered at the San Francisco 47 with 2:47 left.
Lawrence, who completed 21 of 31 passes for 174 yards, hit Hunter Long for an 8-yard gain on 3rd-and-5 at the two-minute warning to help the Jaguars run out the clock.
Purdy finished 22-of-38 passing for 309 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He threw 8- and 21-yard scoring strikes to Christian McCaffrey and Jake Tonges in the second half. McCaffrey finished with 141 yards from scrimmage as he caught six passes for 92 yards.
But the difference came when Jacksonville’s Parker Washington lugged a punt 87 yards for a touchdown with 2:22 left in the third quarter for a 26-14 lead. That helped the Jaguars win despite being outgained 389-325 and committing 12 penalties for 90 yards.
San Francisco initiated scoring with a long opening drive that lasted 13 plays, 57 yards and 6:27. But it had to settle for Eddy Piniero’s 26-yard field goal after reaching the 7.
Jacksonville took the lead for good when Etienne took a handoff, burst around left tackle and raced 48 yards 19 seconds into the second quarter. It was the first play after Andrew Wingard recovered a Luke Farrell fumble at the end of an 11-yard gain.
Lawrence made it 14-3 on the next possession with a 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end Hunter Long, capping an 89-yard drive that ate up 8:01.
The teams traded field goals in the final 40 seconds. Piniero hit from 23 but Cam Little answered from 26 as time expired, enabling the Jaguars to take a 17-6 advantage to the locker room.
