SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- In a 14-second span, the San Francisco 49ers went from scuffling to surging.
Kevan Barlow raced 78 yards for a score and Fred Beasley scored on 28-yard touchdown toss as the 49ers posted a 30-14 triumph over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Taking advantage of a turnover to score twice in the final five minutes of the third quarter and riding another stellar performance from its defense, San Francisco kept its playoff hopes alive with a solid all-around performance.
The 49ers (5-5) led 10-0 at the half but had their lead sliced to three points when Jerome Bettis plunged in from one yard out 4:59 into the third quarter. But with 4:33 left in the quarter, Barlow burst almost untouched off tackle and down the right sideline for the longest run of his career.
"They blitzed us and they came from the outside," San Francisco coach Dennis Erickson said. "When we hit the seam we ran a counter play and both outside blitzes went right by the play. I'd like to say we saw it coming and it was a heck of an outstanding play by me."
"It was great blocking," said Barlow, who was helped by a pair of blocks from wide receiver Terrell Owens. "I hit the hole but it was daylight out there. I saw (Owens), he had two blocks out there. We caught them at the right time and we took it from there. It was special. I didn't even know I had that in me."
On the ensuing kickoff, Antwaan Randle El fumbled and Sean Moran recovered at the Pittsburgh 28. On the next play, Tim Rattay lofted a pass down the left sideline that fullback Fred Beasley ran under for a touchdown.
"He just made a great play," Rattay said. "We worked on it in practice, so I just threw it up and he made a great play."
"It was just a good play that the defense wasn't expecting," Beasley said. "Tim gave me a chance to catch the ball and I just hauled it in."
Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher did not need many words to sum up the game's key moments.
"We came out in the second half and got the score, but then Kevan Barlow's run set us back. After that, we turned around and fumbled," Cowher said.
"That hurt because right after that they scored," Randle El said. "You can't afford to make mistakes like that. We made too many tonight."
Rattay, making his second career start, completed 21-of-27 passes for 254 yards and two scores. Eight of those completions went to Owens, who had 155 yards receiving and a touchdown.
The win, the third in four games for San Francisco, puts the 49ers within two games of first-place Seattle and St. Louis in the NFC West. San Francisco also is within two games of the final NFC wild card berth.
The Steelers (3-7) have dropped six of seven games and are two games behind the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC North.
San Francisco broke on to 7-0 on a 61-yard bomb from Rattay to Owens midway through the opening quarter. Todd Peterson added a 32-yard field goal in the second quarter and the 49ers defense held Pittsburgh to just 125 yards in the first half.
Steelers quarterback Tommy Maddox was 25-of-44 for 327 yards but was intercepted once. Plaxico Burress had six catches for 92 yards.
Peterson had kicks of 22 and 44 yards in the fourth quarter, when the 49ers opened a 30-7 advantage.
San Francisco retired the jersey of Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott at halftime. Joe Montana was among his former teammates on hand for the ceremony.
