SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) - The Bush Bowl countdown is on in San Francisco. Just don't expect 49ers coach Mike Nolan to join in.
Unfortunately for Nolan, it's just about the only interesting topic of discussion for Bay Area football fans stuck with two losing teams for the third straight year: If San Francisco (2-12) and the Houston Texans (2-12) both lose this weekend, the loser of the teams' New Year's Day game will be No. 32 in the NFL - and No. 1 in April's draft.
Nolan understands why 49ers fans welcome losses these days, thinking every defeat brings their flailing franchise closer to the chance to acquire Heisman Trophy-winning tailback Reggie Bush.
But Nolan isn't waiting for a savior from Southern California. If the 49ers fail to finish with the league's worst record, he'll be thrilled - because it will mean San Francisco finally showed a bit of tangible progress in his horrible debut season.
``I do not think it's nonsense at all for a fan to think that way,'' Nolan said Monday. ``That's what makes being a fan so much fun. (But) as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, I am not a fan.''
But just to keep fans' minds percolating, Nolan acknowledged the 49ers definitely would have the salary cap room and the financial backing from owner John York to sign another No. 1 pick, just one year after giving $24 million in guaranteed money to Alex Smith.
Though Nolan has the final say on all of the 49ers' personnel decisions, he claims he hasn't thought about his possible choices in the next draft, or even the status of several soon-to-be free agents, including linebackers Julian Peterson and Derek Smith.
Nolan has been too busy trying to coax progress from a team that's lost 12 of 13 games while ranking near the bottom of the league in most statistical categories.
The 49ers' 10-9 loss at Jacksonville on Sunday was one of the tougher defeats, since San Francisco kept it close despite failing to score an offensive touchdown for an astonishing eighth time this season.
This isn't exactly how Nolan imagined his first season in charge.
``I could imagine it,'' Nolan said. ``Did I want to imagine it? No. Is it a nightmare more than a dream? Probably. ... Everything we're doing right now is building for that future, not only to develop the players that we have, but also to win and develop that part of it.''
In their latest loss, the 49ers remained on pace for a number of franchise lowlights.
Most prominently, they gained just 217 yards, giving them 2,943 for the season. They would need 1,104 yards in their final two games just to match the lowest total in franchise history for a 16-game season, set in 1978.
In his five starts, Smith has thrown 10 interceptions and still no touchdown passes. He has passed for 585 yards while completing just 46.7 percent of his passes, leading to a 26.6 passer rating.
Still, Smith said he has made ``big strides. It's hard to tell how much that shows to the fans, are far as being comfortable and seeing things develop around you. But it's a big thing for a quarterback. ... That game (in Jacksonville) was so exciting for me, a lot of fun. It was fun to be in that game and take it down to the wire.''
Smith tried to stay out of the Bush discussions Monday, claiming he wasn't even sure his former Helix High School teammate was planning to turn pro, as Bush's family members have said.
Though Nolan has only watched Bush in USC's win over Notre Dame and a few scattered television highlights, veteran defensive end Bryant Young is among the 49ers excited by the possibility of a talented new teammate.
``He's a very electrifying player, an exciting player to watch, definitely,'' said Young, who returned against Jacksonville after a three-week absence with a sprained knee ligament. ``I think he could be an exciting player in this league.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
