In the dramatic final minutes, Frank Gore of the 49ers ran for a 7-yard touchdown with 1:19 to play and Vernon Davis made a close-call catch at the goal line for the equaling 2-point conversion. The play was initially called no good, but the 49ers (0-2) challenged the ruling and won.

The defending Super Bowl champion Saints (2-0), who relied on their defense most of the game, got the ball back at the 30 with 1:14 left.

Drew Brees hit Marques Colston with a 30-yard completion that put the Saints on the 18 with 18 seconds remaining.

The 49ers watched anxiously as Hartley's kick just made it.

“We've stayed with the mindset we are the hunter, not the hunted,” Brees said.

Reggie Bush caught a 6-yard TD pass in his first game since giving back his 2005 Heisman Trophy won while with Southern California. The NCAA punished USC after concluding that Bush and his family took money and gifts from sports agents while Bush played for the Trojans. Bush was helped off the field with a leg injury with 6:58 left.

Brees hit David Thomas for a 3-yard score that put New Orleans ahead late in the third quarter and Tracy Porter's interception at the 10-yard line preserved the lead until Gore's late run.

San Francisco beat itself with turnovers.

Roman Harper intercepted a pass by Alex Smith at the 26 in the first quarter. Malcolm Jenkins recovered Delanie Walker's fumble at the 3 just before halftime as the Niners failed to capitalize on opportunities.

Gore provided the highlight for the 49ers, running for 112 yards and catching a 12-yard touchdown pass from Smith.

New Orleans' defense shined for the second straight game in the national spotlight, the Saints' first game since kicking off the NFL season in prime time on Sept. 9 with a 14-9 victory over the Vikings.

The inconsistent Saints offense looked far from top form but still found a way to beat the Niners for the sixth straight time.
 

In Charlotte, North Carolina, the Carolina Panthers will start rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals and bench struggling Matt Moore, the team said Monday.

Head coach John Fox decided to make the change following the Panthers' 20-7 loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday when Moore completed just six of 16 passes for 125 yards and one score.

In Carolina's two season-opening defeats, Moore has committed six turnovers and been unable to consistently move the ball downfield.

The Panthers will now turn to Clausen, who has played sparingly in the first two games, completing seven of 15 passes with one interception.

"I was surprised, to be honest," Clausen told the team's website (www.panthers.com) of the decision.

"I was just coming in for another day of work, watching film and starting to get ready for the Bengals. It's exciting, but at the same time, it's time to get to work now."