Tempe, Ariz. ? While Terrell Owens rested, Jeff Garcia put in a full day for the San Francisco 49ers in a game that meant nothing against a team headed nowhere.

Garcia completed 23 of 39 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown, and Garrison Hearst ran for a score Saturday as the 49ers held on for a 17-14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

“It was a difficult game to decide how to play, who to use for how long, and all the reasons why and why not,” 49ers coach Steve Mariucci said.

With the 49ers’ playoff position locked — a first-round home game against a wild-card team — Owens took the day off because of a sore groin.

“He hadn’t practiced all week, and I want to freshen him up for the playoffs,” Mariucci said.

The NFC West champions (10-5) weathered two missed 42-yard field goals by Jeff Chandler, a lost fumble at the Arizona 17 and a late Cardinals rally.

The 49ers came to Sun Devil Stadium for the first time since a Monday night game in 1999, when Steve Young went down with what turned out to be a career-ending concussion. Garcia stepped in and has been in charge of San Francisco’s offense ever since.

“It really wasn’t on top of my mind until coach Mariucci said something about this is where it really started for me,” Garcia said, “and it really was.”

Jake Plummer, in what might have been his last home game for Arizona, nearly engineered his 22nd fourth-quarter comeback.

After Renaldo Hill intercepted Garcia’s deflected pass at the San Francisco 33, Kevin Kasper caught his second touchdown pass of the day, and of his career, from 6 yards to cut the lead to 17-14 with 4:08 to play.

But, as was the case in last week’s 30-28 loss at St. Louis, Arizona’s defense couldn’t stop an opponent’s last drive. The 49ers made a first down at the Cardinals 33 at the two-minute warning, then ran out the clock.

“We couldn’t get their offense off the field,” Arizona coach Dave McGinnis said. “Garcia made some plays.”

Plummer, whose contract runs out after the season, completed 16-of-26 for 109 yards and two scores. He was intercepted once. Plummer said he treated it like any other game and repeated his desire to re-sign with the Cardinals.

“If you want to know the answer, call Miss Cleo,” Plummer said, referring to the notorious fortune teller who used to be seen on late-night television. “Whatever is going to happen will happen.”

Marcel Shipp rushed for 84 yards on 20 carries and caught four passes for 31 yards but fumbled the ball away at the 49ers 9.

The Cardinals (5-10) wore red pants with their red jerseys for the first time in the team’s history. But they were the same players who have lost eight of nine.

San Francisco led 10-7 at halftime on Chandler’s 24-yard field goal. He missed one 42-yarder to the left and another to the right earlier in the game.

Arizona tied it at 7 on a 15-play, 68-yard drive that ended with Kasper catching a 4-yarder for the score. The Cardinals converted five third downs on the drive, including Plummer’s 14-yard scramble on third-and-9 from the San Francisco 18.

The 49ers went 63 yards in eight plays on their opening possession. Garcia connected with Fred Beasley on a 25-yard touchdown play on third-and-1 to put San Francisco up 7-0.

After Cedrick Wilson returned the second-half kickoff 37 yards to the Cardinals 47, San Francisco needed just three plays to score. Garcia threw 33 yards to Tai Streets, who had eight catches for 90 yards. Hearst ran for 6 yards to the 8, then scored on an 8-yard run to make it 17-7.