Yes, Jim Harbaugh, when your team wins one of the most thrilling playoff games in recent memory in your postseason coaching debut, you can run onto the field screaming like a wild man when the clock shows 0:00. On Saturday, Harbaugh's San Francisco 49ers scored a TD with nine seconds to play to cap a back-and-forth, 34-point fourth quarter and knock off the favored New Orleans Saints at home, 36-32. The victory puts the surprise of the NFL in the NFC Championship Game next weekend.

That the guy on the right would be the one saying good luck next weekend? But the 49ers Alex Smith (No. 11) weathered Drew Brees' fourth-quarter storm to advance his team in Saturday's divisional playoff game. Despite holding a lead throughout much of the game, the 49ers fell behind the Saints twice in the fourth quarter, including trailing 32-29 after a 66-yard Brees strike to Jimmy Graham with 1:37 to play. But both times Smith answered including . . .

. . . this 14-yarder to TE Vernon Davis with nine seconds to play. Davis, one of the original cornerstones of the San Francisco rebuilding project, was huge from start to finish on Saturday. He got the game's scoring started with a 49-yard TD catch-and-run in the first quarter and ended it with this play that sent shockwaves through the Bay Area. He finished the game with seven catches for 180 yards and the two scores.

Saturday's game will be best remembered for the crazy finish. But it would not have been possible without the three quarters of dominance displayed by the San Francisco defense. The 49ers forced five turnovers, delivered a plethora of devastating hits and sacked Drew Brees three times. Justin Smith (pictured) had one of those sacks, along with one the 49ers' five tackles for loss.

The Saints took the lead for the first time Saturday on a 44-yard touchdown catch by Darren Sproles with 4:02 to play. The way the 49ers struggled to move the ball, it looked as if the game was over. But San Francisco rallied to retake the lead for the first time on this 28-yard run by QB Alex Smith with 2:11 to go. That lead lasted all of 34 seconds thanks to . . .

. . . tight end Jimmy Graham's amazing 66-yard catch-and-run TD with 1:37 to play. The score gave the Saints a 32-29 lead and Graham his second score of the game (he finished with 103 yards on five catches). It also gave the Saints renewed hope until one last bit of tight-end magic by the home team.

On this play, Jimmy Graham is unable to haul in a pass as San Francisco linebacker Patrick Willis breaks up the fourth-quarter play. Willis had eight tackles in the game.

Sourdough Sam carries the flag before the 49ers take the field. And there was plenty of dust flying in Saturday's 68-point shootout, with New Orleans and San Francisco combining for 105 passes, 879 yards and 34 fourth-quarter points.

The 49ers cheerleaders line it up on the sideline. Turns out they have reason to smile, as San Francisco will play again next weekend.

Drew Brees saw his season come to an end Saturday, but not without one last eye-popping stat line:

•  462 yards

•  40 completions in 63 attempts

•  4 TDs

•  2 INTs — part of 5 turnovers that were ultimately the Saints' undoing

Saints RB Darren Sproles tends to get lost in the shuffle among all the big bodies. That was partly true in the fourth quarter, when he wiggled his way for a 44-yard score in the fourth quarter. It was also true that he found plenty of passing lanes with Drew Brees, as Sproles collected a whopping 15 receptions.

Saints WR Marques Colston, tackled here by the 49ers' Dashon Goldson, had nine grabs for 136 yards and a score on Saturday. Despite there being four 100-yard receivers in the game, Colston was the only one who actually plays receiver (RB Darren Sproles and TEs Jimmy Graham and Vernon Davis).

49ers LB Patrick Willis is ready for war in his first career playoff game. For most of the game, the San Francisco defense was up to the challenge against the high-powered Saints offense, collecting five turnovers and making life in the pocket miserable for Drew Brees.

Vernon Davis scores the game's first points when he hauls in a TD catch from Alex Smith. Little did he know then, he was providing a very happy glimpse of things to come for 49ers fans.