Cowboys vs. 49ers: Live Score and Analysis for San Francisco

The San Francisco 49ers hosted the Dallas Cowboys in the 2015 NFL preseason home opener at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.

San Francisco was coming off a 23-10 loss to the Houston Texans a week ago but was also preparing for a renewal of the long-standing rivalry between the 49ers and Cowboys. Even though preseason games mean little, these two teams were prepared to battle it out on Sunday.

The game kicked off at 8 p.m. ET.

Part of the game's context focused on the field conditions at Levi's Stadium. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has already been critical of the problematic turf and suggested some of Dallas' starters won't play during the contest.

Would head coach Jim Tomsula handle his own squad in a similar fashion?

This may have been an exhibition game, but the rivalry remains, and both teams wanted to get an edge over each other while evaluating the players vying for coveted roster spots.

Linebacker NaVorro Bowman had an amazing return to NFL action and brought down Cowboys running back Darren McFadden on the first play from scrimmage. San Francisco followed up with an impressive first drive, which ended in a first-quarter field goal from kicker Phil Dawson.

Dawson added on another try early in the second quarter. But the 49ers defense ended up scoring the next points for San Francisco. Nose tackle Mike Purcell picked off a pass from Cowboys quarterback Dustin Vaughan and returned it 37 yards for a touchdown.

The 49ers also posted a field goal from kicker Corey Acosta late in the third quarter after a strong running effort from running back Jarryd Hayne.

In the fourth, San Francisco got another touchdown that wasn't from its offense. The 49ers blocked a Dallas punt, and wideout Quinton Patton picked it up in the end zone for the touchdown.

The Cowboys managed to get on the board late in the quarter when quarterback Jameill Showers found wide receiver Nick Harwell for an eight-yard touchdown. Dallas' two-point conversion attempt failed on the subsequent snap.

Dallas' score rounded out the scoring as the 49ers closed the door over the remainder of the game. San Francisco beat its storied rival in this preseason showdown.

And that always feels good regardless of whether or not it is the preseason.

FINAL: Cowboys 6, 49ers 23

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise indicated.

Peter Panacy is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report covering the San Francisco 49ers. Follow him (@PeterPanacy) on Twitter.