49ers Vs. Texans Final Score: Houston downs 49ers 20-9

The Houston Texans defeated the San Francisco 49ers 20-9 in a Saturday night preseason game at Reliant Stadium, but the final score may be overshadowed by injuries to two Niners running backs.

Both teams struggled offensively, each failing to rack up 300 total yards. The 49ers only went 3-for-13 on third downs, and the Texans weren’t much better at 5-for-13. Neither team committed a turnover, but they combined for 16 penalties.

The Texans ended the first half with an 80-yard touchdown drive capped off by a nine-yard touchdown pass from starting quarterback Matt Schaub to wide receiver Lestar Jean.

Though their offense struggled as a whole, the Texans stars got the job done. Schaub looked good against the Niners’ vaunted defense, completing 11-of-14 passes for 128 yards and one touchdown. Arian Foster also had a good showing with 46 yards on 10 carries. Andre Johnson only caught two passes, but one went for 43 yards. Second-year quarterback T.J. Yates and rookie signal-caller Case Keenum both had nondescript outings.

Niners starting quarterback Alex Smith went 5-for-9 passing for 49 yards while starting tailback Frank Gore only rushed twice for 12 yards. Kendall Hunter rushed for 46 yards on six carries, but two other 49ers running backs did not finish the game on high notes.

Brandon Jacobs, who signed with San Fran in the offseason after seven seasons with the New York Giants, went down with what appeared to be a serious knee injury after making his first carry of the game, an eight-yard gain with 2:44 remaining in the first quarter.

Jacobs remained down on the field for several minutes after being hit by Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson. While putting all of his weight on his right leg, Jacobs was eventually able to hobble to the sideline, from where he was carted back to the locker room.

Then, late in the fourth quarter, rookie back LaMichael James had to be helped off the field after twisting his ankle in a pileup. He too was carted off to the locker room.

For more on the Texans, head over to Battle Red Blog and SB Nation Houston. Get more news and insight on the 49ers over at Niners Nation and SB Nation Bay Area.