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August 30, 2007, 7pm PST/10pm EST
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego
CBS - Channel 5 in San Francisco
Simulcast on NFL NETWORK.
Reaired Sunday night at 10pm on NFL Network

So I actually almost forgot about this game.  A Thursday evening preseason game is surprisingly easy to forget, but there was no forgetting in the end here at Niners Nation.

The goal of this game is very simple.  DO NOT GET HURT.  While I'd love to see Alex Smith come out and go 5/5 for 120 yards and 2 TDs, and see the defense pick off a pair of Philip Rivers passes, I'll be almost as happy with no injuries.  The 49ers regular season kicks off a week from Monday, so as far as I'm concerned, this is nothing more than a tuneup.  Obviously we want players to take care of business, but it's not as big a deal for one night.

In spite of all this, there is some business at hand for some of our players.  I haven't found a concise injury report heading into the game, so no official word on whether Franklin or BY will be in the lineup, although I'd guess no.  I'm pretty sure Gore will be in street clothes as well.

Running Back
It'd be nice to see Robinson step up ahead of Hicks, but I've resigned myself to the fact that I doubt it will be happening.  Just give me some quality Thomas Clayton time.

Wide Receiver
I think Ashley Lelie has officially passed Taylor Jacobs on the depth chart in terms of pre-season performance.  Jacobs is now battling the likes of Brandon Williams, Bryan Gilmore and Jason Hill for some semblance of playing time.

Defense
It is hard to judge anything from this game because Ladanian Tomlinson won't play.  Just a solid performance from the starters would be nice.

So, keep your fingers crossed on the injury front.  I'm TiVoing the game as I'll be out at law school bar night, so I might not be able to get much of a recap in before late tomorrow at the earliest due to some other engagements.  Anyways, enjoy the game and hope for the best.