San Francisco, CA (Sports Network) - Willis McGahee rushed 22 times for 88 yards and Matt Stover booted three field goals as the Baltimore Ravens earned a 9-7 victory over the San Francisco 49ers at Monster Park.

Steve McNair was 29-for-43 passing for 214 yards, leading a Ravens offense that accumulated 315 yards of offense but failed to reach the end zone. Derrick Mason had 11 catches for 85 yards and McGahee caught seven passes as well, while Stover hit from 26, 32 and 49 yards.

Baltimore (3-2) limited the 49ers to just 163 net yards, as former Ravens quarterback Trent Dilfer completed just 12 of 19 passes for 126 yards, throwing a touchdown and an interception, in his first start against the team that let him go following a Super Bowl victory.

"It's what we needed to do," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "We gave up one big play, but the defense did well. They know they had to have this kind of game for us."

Frank Gore rushed 16 times for 52 yards and also caught three passes for 23 yards for San Francisco (2-3), whose only touchdown came courtesy of receiver Arnaz Battle.

"It's still frustrating," Battle said. "We have potential to be a good offense, move the ball, and get something going. It's frustrating, but you need to keep fighting, scratching, and clawing."

Neither team moved the ball effectively in the first quarter, and the battle of attrition continued into the second. Baltimore was pinned at its own two- yard line when Andy Lee booted a 74-yard punt. The Ravens moved the ball out to the 41 thanks to a pass interference penalty, then pinned San Francisco inside its own 10.

The Niners stalled at their own 21, then punted to Baltimore, who began the first scoring drive of the game with 10:55 left in the half. The Ravens went 64 yards in 14 plays, taking 8:11 off the clock before Stover hit a 26-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.

After another San Francisco three-and-out, Baltimore regained possession and drove 68 yards in less than two minutes for another Stover field goal, this time from 32 yards, just before the half. McNair completed five of seven passes on the 11-play drive, while McGahee carried twice for 21 yards.

Ed Reed picked off a Dilfer pass on the Niners' first possession of the second half, setting up a 49-yarder from Stover after McNair converted a fourth-and- one on a QB sneak.

"That is the best free safety I have ever played against in my life," Dilfer said of Reed. "The guy is very dangerous."

The Niners offense, stagnant all afternoon, suddenly came alive on its next drive. On third-and-six from his own 35, Dilfer, under heavy pressure, lofted a pass down the left sideline for Bryan Gilmore, who extended fully to make a fingertip catch for a 42-yard gain. One play later, Dilfer hit Battle over the middle for a 23-yard score to make it a 9-7 game.

Baltimore's first drive of the fourth quarter lasted over eight minutes, but stalled at the Niners 40. The Ravens punted, and San Francisco took over and advanced to the Baltimore 37 when Dilfer hit Gore for 19 yards over the middle. But after a questionable third-down draw play that went nowhere, the 49ers opted for a Joe Nedney 52-yard field goal attempt. It missed wide right, and the Ravens retained their two-point lead.

McNair and the offense then sealed the game with a steady diet of McGahee and a key third-down conversion from McNair to Mason.

Game Notes

The Ravens controlled the ball for 38 minutes, compared to San Francisco's 22 minutes...Baltimore needs just one win to reach 100 total victories...Mason has seven or more catches in each of his first five games to start the season...San Francisco WR Darrell Jackson was limited to two catches for six yards...Reed's interception was his third of the season...San Francisco safety Michael Lewis left the game in the fourth quarter with an undisclosed injury after making five tackles.

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