SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Sunday’s game between San Francisco and the Kansas City Chiefs was billed as a battle of the quarterbacks, former 49er Alex Smith in his homecoming against Colin Kaepernick, the man who took his job.

As it turned out, both quarterbacks produced solid if unspectacular games, and the 49ers turned to their running game and special teams to grind out a 22-17 victory at Levi’s Stadium.

Starting running back Frank Gore ran for 107 yards, backup Carlos Hyde added 43 rushing yards, and Phil Dawson kicked five field goals in five attempts, including two of over 50 yards, for the 49ers (3-2).

Gore, who rushed for 119 yards on 24 carries last week in a victory against the Philadelphia Eagles, needed just 18 carries to crack the 100-yard barrier against the Chiefs. He gained 70 yards in the second half.

“Our O-line played great,” Gore said. “Got to give it up to them. Forty-Niners football. We do whatever it takes.”

Kaepernick unseated Smith as the 49ers’ starting quarterback with seven games remaining in the 2012 season. He completed 14 of 26 passes for 201 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions Sunday.

Smith, facing the 49ers for the first time since they traded him to Kansas City following the 2012 season, completed 17 of 31 passes for 175 yards. He threw two touchdown passes and an interception that ended the Chiefs’ final drive.

“I thought he handled it like a champ,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said of Smith’s first game against San Francisco. “He did just what I thought he would do. I mean, come out, play good football and lead the football team.”

Dawson provided the game’s final nine points after Kansas City took a 17-13 lead in the third quarter.

“No expiration date on Phil Dawson,” 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said of his 39-year-old kicker. “I put him in some really tough situations. He stepped up and knocked them down like a Hall of Famer.”

The 49ers trailed 17-16 early in the fourth quarter when their special teams came through with a huge play after a gutsy call by Harbaugh and special teams coach Brad Seely.

Facing fourth-and-1 at their 29, the 49ers lined up in punt formation, but the snap went to up-back Craig Dahl, who bulled 3 yards for a first down.

“We practiced it all week,” Harbaugh said. “Brad checked to see if we could do it. I said, ‘Go for it.'”

Dahl said the Chiefs (2-3) had just six players in the box, which is what the 49ers were looking for.

“There’s an option for us to call it off,” said Dahl, a safety who got his first NFL carry. “We got the right look, and everyone executed up front. I played option quarterback in high school, so I’ve carried the ball plenty of times.”

The 49ers faced a huge third-and-10 from their 32, but wide receiver Brandon Lloyd soared above cornerback Sean Smith and made a 29-yard catch along the left sideline, keeping the drive alive. Six plays later, Dawson kicked a 27-yard field goal, putting the 49ers back ahead 19-17 with 8:42 remaining.

“Oh, my goodness,” 49ers offensive tackle Joe Staley said of Lloyd’s catch. “It was awesome. It was like the best catch I’ve ever seen. It seemed like he was up there for like four seconds. It was unbelievable.”

After forcing the Chiefs to go three-and-out, the 49ers took over on their own 32 with 7:10 left to play. San Francisco stalled at the Chiefs’ 36 and lined up for a 54-yard field-goal attempt, but Kansas City was flagged for having 12 players on the field, giving the 49ers a first down with 4:19 remaining.

“I’ll take the responsibility on that,” Reid said. “I need to make sure that I count the guys, make sure down the stretch that everybody knows exactly what they’re doing there and that they do it.”

The 49ers pounded their way to the 10 but settled for Dawson’s 30-yard field goal, giving them a 22-17 lead with 2:12 remaining.

San Francisco sealed the win when Smith overthrew tight end Anthony Fasano, and cornerback Perrish Cox intercepted the ball at the Chiefs’ 43 and took a knee after a 2-yard return with two minutes left.

What the 49ers said:

“He runs so hard and so well, a 100-yard day is like nothing. Excited for him, happy for him and have to keep it going.” — Offensive guard Alex Boone, on running back Frank Gore’s second consecutive 100-yard rushing game.

What the Chiefs said:

“It was just a game where you have to play perfect. We knew that they were a tough, physical football team. They lined up and said that they were going to hit you in the mouth, and that is exactly what they did.” — Chiefs safety Husain Abdullah, on the 49ers.

What we learned about the 49ers:

1. The offense needs to work overtime during practice on red-zone execution. The 49ers went 1-for-4 in the red zone and kicked five field goals Sunday in their 22-17 victory against Kansas City. They can’t count on kicker Phil Dawson saving them every week. “We have to get better,” 49ers running back Frank Gore said. “Watch the tape and clean up whatever it is. We just have to get better.”

2. Every so often, the gambler comes out in coach Jim Harbaugh. San Francisco was trailing 17-16 early in the fourth quarter when Harbaugh gave special teams coach Brad Seely the OK to call a fake punt on fourth-and-1 from the 49ers’ 29. The snap went to up-back Craig Dahl, who ran 3 yards for a first down. The 49ers continued marching and took a 19-17 lead on Dawson’s 27-yard field goal. “Thought it was an important call, important play in the game,” Harbaugh said.

–RB Frank Gore cracked the 100-yard rushing mark for the second consecutive game, gaining 107 yards on 18 carries in a 22-17 victory against Kansas City. Gore, who gained 119 yards on 24 carries in a victory against Philadelphia, leads the 49ers with 365 rushing yards on 77 carries this season. He is averaging 4.7 yards per carry.

–CB Perrish Cox turned in another strong game Sunday against Kansas City while filling in for injured LCB Tramaine Brock. Cox sealed the 49ers’ 22-17 victory with two minutes to play when he intercepted an Alex Smith pass intended for TE Anthony Fasano. Cox has a team-high three interceptions and is building a strong case to remain in the starting lineup even after Brock returns to action.

–WR Brandon Lloyd caught a season-high three passes for 76 yards Sunday in a 22-17 victory against Kansas City, including an acrobatic, 29-yard grab during a crucial fourth-quarter drive. QB Colin Kaepernick threw a jump-ball pass along the left sideline on third-and-10 from the 49ers’ 32, and the 6-foot Lloyd out-jumped 6-3 CB Sean Smith to make the catch. The 49ers continued driving for the go-ahead field goal. Earlier in the game, Lloyd caught a 38-yard pass. After being out of football last season, Lloyd is getting back on track, giving Kaepernick another dangerous weapon.

What we learned about the Chiefs:

1. Rookie wide receiver/punt returner De’Anthony Thomas was worth the wait. Thomas missed the first four games with a hamstring injury, but in his NFL debut Sunday, he caught a 17-yard touchdown pass and returned two punts for 38 yards, including a key 28-yard burst on his first chance. “It feels good to be a contributor on this team,” Thomas said. Shortly after his 28-yard punt return, Thomas scored on a screen pass. “I felt really good coming into this game,” he said. “I’m glad to get this first game out of the way.”

2. Kansas City’s special teams need to go back to school. When the 49ers drove for two crucial field goals late in the game Sunday, the Chiefs’ special teams made two huge gaffes.

The 49ers burned Kansas City on a fake punt on fourth-and-1 at their 29, extending a drive that ended with Phil Dawson kicking a 27-yard field goal that put San Francisco ahead 19-17.

“They got us,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “Against this team, you’ve got to be ready for all that stuff. They got us on that one, and they got it done. They were able to move us out of the way to get the first.”

On the 49ers’ next drive, Dawson lined up for a 54-yard field goal, but the Chiefs were penalized for having 12 men the field with 4:19 left to play. San Francisco continued driving, and Dawson kicked a 30-yard field goal with 2:12 remaining.

“I need to make sure I count the guys, make sure down the stretch that everybody knows exactly what they’re doing there and that they do it,” Reid said.

–QB Alex Smith completed 17 of 31 passes for 175 yards, two touchdowns and one interception Sunday in a 22-17 loss to San Francisco at Levi’s Stadium in his first game against the 49ers since being traded to Kansas City after the 2012 season. “I thought he handled it like a champ,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “He did what I thought he would do. I mean, come out, play good football and lead the football team.”

–WR/PR De’Anthony Thomas caught a 17-yard touchdown pass Sunday against San Francisco in his NFL debut. The rookie from Oregon also returned two punts for 38 yards. On his first punt return, Thomas raced 28 yards, showing his quickness and ability to change directions. He scored on a screen pass, catching a pass from QB Alex Smith in the left flat and tight-roping down the left sideline.

–OLB Justin Houston, who came into Sunday’s game against San Francisco tied for the NFL lead with five sacks, recorded his sixth sack of the season. Houston finished with four tackles and two tackles for loss.