Samuel, Aiyuk scores against a 17-0 lead

Forget about cross-country jet lag. The 49ers woke up awake Sunday in Jacksonville, betting on a 20-3 lead at the break over the Jaguars.

Here are some takeaways from the first half as the 49ers (4-5) look set to win for the third time in four games:

DEEBO DOES IT AGAIN

Deebo Samuel came into the game and needed just 21 yards to become the 49ers’ first wide receiver since 2014 to overshadow 1,000 yards in a season. He has not received a passport.

However, he touched the ball five times and they were all running, highlighted by a 25-yard touchdown carry to the left pylon to a 10-0 lead 11:24 before the break. Samuel shared the main blocks of Laken Tomlinson and George Kittle on his way to his third rushing touchdown this season.

Samuel has a team-high 47 rushing yards so far, and starter Jeff Wilson Jr. has 39 yards on 14 carries. Samuel had just six carries (22 yards) in the first eight games. Then came Monday night’s masterpiece, which included five carries for 36 yards.

His urgent skill was called in part due to injuries to the running back corps, from Raheem Mostert’s season finale in Week 1 to the ailments that kept Elijah Mitchell (finger) and JaMycal Hasty (ankle) out in this game.

OPENING DRIVE BALL HOGS

OK, a field goal was not the sexiest result of a 20-play, 13-minute opening run. But that made the 49ers lead to show for an exhausting possession. How exhausting?

On Thursday, 49ers safety Jimmie Ward provided insight into what a 20-play, 11-minute touchdown run could have done to the Los Angeles Rams in the 49ers’ 31-10 disruption: “It can really hurt a defense for the entire game. is hard to get your legs back when you’ve been out there for 11 minutes. ”

Well, the Jaguars’ defense was quickly back on the field when Trevor Lawrence and their attack went 3-and-out in 1 1/2 minutes. The 49ers’ subsequent second series opened with Brandon Aiyuk bouncing off a tackle attempt and driving 34 yards into Jaguar territory, ending the first quarter.

Officially, Sunday’s opening run covered 13 minutes, 5 seconds – the NFL’s longest since 2000, according to Fox Sports.

GAROPPOLO-TO-AIYUK

Jimmy Garoppolo and Aiyuk are a red-hot combination and it paid off with a third-and-goal touchdown pass from the 6-yard line to a 17-0 lead.

In the past, Aiyuk had a 13-yard reception on a third-and-12 game, so it’s clear Garoppolo and the 49ers are increasingly relying on him coming out of a recession in the early season.

Aiyuk has caught all six goals in 78 yards. Garoppolo is 10-of-14 for 124 yards with a pass rating of 122.6 – ready for his fourth game in a row with a 100-plus rating.

By the way, Garoppolo’s touchdown pass came from the shotgun, where he has been thriving since the 49ers’ Halloween victory in Chicago. Of Garoppolo’s 14 passes in this game, he has taken shotgun snaps on half of them (6-of-7, 87 yards).

THE EFFECT OF JAUAN JENNING

Jauan Jennings, after red-shirting his rookie year, has come strong in place of the injured No. 3 wide receiver Mohamed Sanu.

First, Jennings held the 49ers’ opening drive by throwing at a Jeff Wilson Jr. fumble on the Jaguars’ 16-yard line.

Then, midway through the second quarter, Jennings’ intensity led to the expulsion of Jaguar’s safety Rayshawn Jenkins. With the 49ers ready to settle for a field goal (after Fred Warner’s recovery of Josh Norman’s forced fumble), Jenkins battled with Jennings, who lost his helmet and then got hit by Jenkins.