Smith throws for 2 2nd-half touchdowns, 49ers win

In a season where they haven't had much to celebrate, the San Francisco 49ers can at least brag about this: They won the battle of the bay.

Alex Smith overcame a rough start and another harsh booing from his home crowd to throw two second-half touchdown passes and Frank Gore ran for 149 yards to help the Niners win their first game of the season, 17-9 over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.

''It's all about winning,'' Smith said. ''That's all that matters at this point and you have to get the first one, so it's a starting point.''

In a matchup between franchises that have combined for eight Super Bowl titles and 43 playoff berths, this meeting was more reminiscent of the recent struggles in the Bay Area where both teams have gone seven years without a winning record.

The teams combined for 19 penalties, went long stretches without moving the ball and struggled even to complete passes for much of the game.

That led to another chorus of boos for Smith, who was nearly benched a week ago while struggling against Philadelphia.

''I was ready for it all week,'' Smith said. ''I knew if I didn't come out hot, I knew that was going to happen, without a doubt. I was ready for it. It wasn't going to bother me.''

He recovered in this game in time to give the Niners (1-5) their first win of the season. San Francisco had punted on six of its first seven possessions before taking over at the 9 midway through the third quarter with the Raiders (2-4) leading 6-3.

Smith had completed just 9 of 23 passes at that point and was jeered repeatedly by the crowd before finally getting the offense moving. He converted three third-down conversions as San Francisco drove to the Oakland 22 before being called for intentional grounding when his pass sailed well over the head of Josh Morgan on a call Smith described as ''ridiculous.''

On the next play Michael Crabtree split through Oakland's zone coverage and came down with a 32-yard touchdown catch against the team that passed him over the previous year in the draft.

After the Raiders cut the lead to 10-9 in the fourth quarter on Sebastian Janikowski's third field goal, the Niners responded once again. Gore ripped off a 64-yard run on the first play and two plays later Smith found Vernon Davis for a 17-yard score on a throwback screen.

''I feel like I just took a whole house off my back that was weighing us down,'' Davis said.

The Raiders once again failed in their quest to win back-to-back games, marking the seventh time in the past two seasons that a win has been followed by a dud.

This game looked like it could change that pattern at the start as backup quarterback Jason Campbell put together two long scoring drives to open the game. But Oakland stalled inside the 10 both times and settled for field goals.

''We started off strong but we didn't get those touchdowns and it was kind of like the air went out,'' Campbell said. ''It was a frustrating day. We lost a lot of opportunities. We will do better next time. I don't see this happening to us again.''

Oakland then didn't move the ball again until Campbell completed two passes to Zach Miller in the fourth quarter on another field goal drive.

The Raiders didn't get another first down, going three-and-out on their next drive and throwing an interception that bounced off Jacoby Ford and into Takeo Spikes' hands to seal the win late for San Francisco.

''I just felt like we didn't take advantage of opportunities,'' defensive lineman Richard Seymour said. ''If you want to write a caption: not taking advantage of the opportunities. And you know what? You let a team hang around long enough, hand around and don't deliver the knockout, that's what'll happen.''

Smith went 16 of 33 for 196 yards in his first turnover-free game of 2010, helping San Francisco overcome 11 penalties for 143 yards.

That sends the Niners into their road trip to Carolina and London, where they will face Denver, on a positive note after a tumultuous open to the season.

''He stepped in there and he fought,'' Gore said. ''That's one thing, he's been fighting his whole career here. We finally got one and. Now we're ready to take off now.''

Notes: Campbell went 8 for 21 for 83 yards and two interceptions for a quarterback rating of 10.7. That's the lowest for a Raiders QB with at least 20 attempts since Ken Stabler had a 9.9 in a 14-10 loss to Cincinnati in 1975. ... Davis has caught a TD pass in three straight games.