*Watch Texans head coach Gary Kubiak's press conference live at 3:30 p.m. CT on Sunday on Texans TV.
SAN FRANCISCO -- In their starters' final tune-up for the regular season, the Texans delivered a dominant performance against the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park.
The Texans set a new team preseason record with 105 yards allowed, including 50 in the first half when their starters played. They lost running back Arian Foster early to a hamstring injury but still piled up 260 yards of offense in the first half. The end result was a 30-7 victory, the biggest margin of victory in team preseason history.
Safety Troy Nolan had two interceptions in the second quarter. The Texans' defense allowed only six first downs in the entire game.
"They were exceptional," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. "You get turnovers, you get points off turnovers, (allow) six first downs, 100 yards. I think (the 49ers) were on the field for 40-something plays, and offensively, we were out there for 80-something plays. They're playing their tail off."
The Texans had three sacks and five quarterback hits in limiting the 49ers to 8-of-22 passing for 69 yards.
"It's coming from a lot of places," Kubiak said of the pass rush. "The first group looked really good. The way the scheme is built, there's no telling where it's going to come from. We're not concerned with who gets the sacks, we're concerned with getting pressure on the quarterback. That was a good step in the right direction."
Foster left with a hamstring injury in the first quarter and did not return. Kubiak said that he's hopeful Foster can return by Week 1. Linebacker Xavier Adibi (stinger) and strong safety Glover Quin (undisclosed) also left the game with injuries.
Things didn't start out well for the Texans' first-team offense. On the first play from scrimmage, quarterback Matt Schaub threw a pick-six to 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks, who ran in for an easy 13-yard touchdown. Schaub was looking for Foster on the play.
Schaub and company got on track on their next drive. Schaub was 3-of-5 for 50 yards, including a 30-yard pass to Andre Johnson, as the Texans marched 71 yards in 11 plays for a 27-yard Neil Rackers field goal.
Outside linebacker Connor Barwin ended the 49ers' first drive with his first sack of the preseason. Schaub then led another long scoring drive, this one spanning 10 plays and 56 yards and ending with a one-yard touchdown run by Derrick Ward.
Defensive end Antonio Smith notched a sack on the first play of the second quarter. One play later, Smith pressured 49ers quarterback Alex Smith into an incomplete pass to force a punt. Schaub then led an 11-play, 63-yard drive that ended with a 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end Owen Daniels.
The 49ers brought in rookie Colin Kaepernick for their next drive. He was intercepted seven plays later by Nolan, who raced back the other way for a spectacular 73-yard touchdown return. That put the Texans up 24-7 with 5:31 remaining in the first half.
After a 33-yard punt return by Jacoby Jones, Ward lost a fumble at the 49ers' 31-yard line. The Texans forced a three-and-out, but Daniels fumbled the ball away a few plays later with 40 seconds remaining in the half.
Linebacker Brian Cushing flattened Alex Smith as he threw on the next play, leading to an incompletion. Antonio Smith followed suit one play later, and the result was another interception by Nolan with 12 seconds left in the second quarter.
The Texans brought their second-stringers in to start the second half. It was an uneventful final two quarters, as the only scoring came on two field goals by Rackers.
"I thought by halftime, we had had enough plays on both sides of the ball, and it gave me a chance to evaluate some younger players in the second half," Kubiak said.
Texans backup quarterback Matt Leinart was an efficient 7-of-10 for 69 yards. Running back Ben Tate had a game-high 11 carries for 52 yards, and Chris Ogbonnaya added eight carries for 42 yards and a fumble recovery on special teams. The Texans finished with 417 net yards of offense and a dominant 40:36 in time of possession.
