SANTA CLARA, Calif. _ The Panthers defensive end who got momentum moving in Carolina's favor in the season-opening 23-3 victory against San Francisco wasn't veteran Charles Johnson, superstar sack artist Julius Peppers or last season's sack leader, Mario Addison.
Instead, it was backup Wes Horton who strip-sacked quarterback Brian Hoyer in the first quarter. The ball was recovered by defensive tackle Star Lotulelei on the San Francisco 42.
And it wasn't big-name receiver Kelvin Benjamin, No. 2 receiver Devin Funchess or rookie phenom Christian McCaffrey who scored Carolina's first touchdown of the regular season on the following drive, but little-known receiver Russell Shepard.
Shepard caught a 40-yard pass from quarterback Cam Newton and put a spin move on safety Jaquiski Tartt at about the 10, creating extra yards and the touchdown.
In the second quarter, a would-be touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin was acrobatically intercepted with one hand by Tartt as he flew in to help the defensive back covering Benjamin.
Kicker Graham Gano notched two second-quarter field goals, including a 36-yarder as time expired in the second quarter to put the Panthers up 13-0.
Linebacker Luke Kuechly answered Tartt's pick with an acrobatic one-handed interception of his own, which he returned for 23 yards. That set up a 9-yard touchdown rumble by Jonathan Stewart.
Gano hit another field goal after both Newton and Stewart rushed and tried to find the edge in the red zone, to little gain.
San Francisco avoided the shutout with a 44-yard field goal by Robbie Gould.
McCaffrey had the ball stripped by Rashard Robinson in the fourth quarter, but San Francisco had the door slammed shut as the Panthers mounted a goal-line stop to answer the turnover.
The Panthers held the 49ers to 1-for-4 on fourth down, and 2-for-11 on third-down conversions.
