SAN DIEGO — Shaun Hill went out with a bang Friday night.

The bang was applied by San Diego Chargers linebacker Shaun Phillips, who bludgeoned the 49ers’ quarterback to the turf for a 5-yard loss in the first quarter.
Hill was fine, but shaking off the hard hit would prove his final act of the preseason.
The next time he takes the field will be the real thing: an opening-week showdown against defending NFC champion Arizona next Sunday.
Based on the 49ers’ 26-7 loss at Qualcomm Stadium, the 49ers have a few kinks to work out in a hurry.
—The first-team offense got only to midfield in its lone drive.
—Cornerback Nate Clements surrendered another big gainer, this time a 39-yard touchdown to backup receiver Kassim Osgood.
—And kicker Joe Nedney missed a 53-yard field-goal attempt.
In total, that’s a blemish for the starting units on offense, defense and special teams — the triple frown.
“There are always things you are working on. That’s a never-ending process, especially at quarterback,” Hill said. “I’ll continue to refine things here and there that need to be improved on, but I know everybody is really excited to get this season kicked off.”
As was the custom during the preseason, the 49ers’ biggest sparks flew from the arm of rookie quarterback Nate Davis.
The fifth-round pick from Ball State added another scene to his highlight reel by connecting on a 21-yard touchdown pass to Jason Hill just before halftime.
The score capped another two-minute drill for Davis, who drove the team 80 yards on seven plays in just 1 minute, 44 seconds.
On the touchdown throw, Davis lofted a pass with just enough arc to get it over underneath coverage from linebacker Brandon Siler and with just enough zip to make sure safety C.J. Spillman couldn’t close the distance.
Jason Hill caught the pass in stride as he entered the end zone with 56 remaining in the half.
Most of the game was a final showcase for the backups, some of whom spent a restless night in advance of Saturday’s final cuts.
Rosters must be trimmed to the league-mandated maximum of 53 by 1 p.m.
That means 20 players will pack their bags.
Some will get an immediate reprieve: Teams can establish a practice squad of up to eight players starting Sunday at 9 a.m. Pacific Time.
But first, the 49ers coaching staff will lock itself in a film room and take one last, long look at the players on the bubble.
Running back Kory Sheets, who was in a good position anyway, helped his cause with a 24-yard burst in the second quarter.
Things were rougher for his fellow undrafted rookie Alex Boone, who appeared to get beat on a sack by Larry English in the second quarter.
In the already muddled receiver outlook, Micheal Spurlock got a surprise start with Arnaz Battle (shoulder) and Isaac Bruce (rest) sitting out.
Spurlock’s start could be bad news for Dominique Zeigler, who also suffered a left-ankle sprain in the first half and did not return.
Once the 49ers put together the last pieces of their roster puzzle, they can get back to the task of preparing for the Cardinals.
Though San Francisco finished the exhibitions 3-1, there were a several disconcerting developments, including the recent play of Clements.
Coming off a rough game against Dallas, Clements got beat Friday by Osgood, the former North Salinas High standout. Osgood ran right past the 49ers’ top cornerback, who had trouble tracking the ball.
It didn’t help the secondary that the pass rush was mostly light again, although Khalif Mitchell and Diyral Briggs registered the team’s first legitimate sacks. (The 49ers’ previous sack this exhibition season came when the Raiders’ JaMarcus Russell tripped.) Now, the 49ers have just a week to patch things up.
Starting next Sunday, it counts.
“Oh, yeah, we still have a lot of work to do,” linebacker Patrick Willis said. “I’m really looking forward to us going out and really playing the whole game together and really seeing what we have.
“Arizona is going to be a good team to play against. It’s going to be a good test for us.”