Trivia completists waiting to find out the first player to score a touchdown at Levi’s Stadium have their answer.
It was Broncos tight end Julius Thomas on a 17-yard pass from Peyton Manning with 11:45 left to play in the second quarter of the first game at the new home of the 49ers. Thomas’ touchdown and the ensuing extra point made it 10-0 Broncos after a pair of efficient drives down the field for the Denver starters.
Manning completed 12-of-14 passes for 102 yards and the touchdown to Thomas on the first two Denver possessions, with the only real blemish coming at the end of the first drive when an awkward Manning scramble and incompletion forced them to settle for a field goal in the red zone. Otherwise, it was a very easy and very familiar 127 yards on 21 plays for the defending AFC champs.
The 49ers also moved the ball on their first two possessions, picking up five first downs, but both drives stalled before they got deep into Broncos territory. Colin Kaepernick left the game having completed 5-of-9 passes for 39 yards in a performance that saw Kaepernick check down to second or third options after finding nothing open down the field.