All Coleman did during the contest was rush for 105 yards on 11 carries, averaging 9.5 yards per attempt in the process.
But that doesn't tell the whole story, as Coleman managed three touchdowns on the ground and added another one through the air. And by doing so, Coleman joins Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice as the only two 49ers players to score four touchdowns in a single game.
Rice, of course, did it twice (h/t Josh Dubow of AP). The first time on Oct. 14, 1990 against the Atlanta Falcons, where he actually recorded five touchdowns. Then again on Nov. 14, 1993 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Yet Coleman was even surprised at the success both he and the Niners had against a Panthers defense, which entered Sunday's game ranked 15th in scoring.
"It definitely surprised me," Coleman told reporters after his 118 total-yard performance. "They're a great [defense], and they have great players on their D. Especially [linebacker] Luke Kuechly.
"We definitely had to work. Get our details down to play against them."
San Francisco first found the end zone by getting the ball to its new wide receiver, Emmanuel Sanders. Yet the next three touchdowns went Coleman's way.
Coleman added his fourth with just over 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, reaching Rice's benchmark in the process.
"It's definitely amazing," Coleman said when he found out he was the latest Niners player to record four touchdowns in a game. "To hear that, things like that. I work hard every day and how humble I am, and it's a great accomplishment."
Written By:
Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
All articles by Peter Panacy
Peter Panacy
Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
All articles by Peter Panacy
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