By Paul Newberry, AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA (AP) — Frank Gore ran for a pair of second-half touchdowns and the 49ers rebounded from a 17-0 deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons 28-24 in the NFC championship game Sunday, sending San Francisco to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1995.

The top-seeded Falcons (14-4) tried to pull out another season-saving drive at the end, but Matt Ryan's fourth-down pass for Roddy White with 1:13 remaining was knocked down by San Francisco linebacker NaVorro Bowman.

The 49ers (13-4-1) will meet the winner of the AFC title game between New England and Baltimore. San Francisco will be trying to join Pittsburgh as the only teams with six Super Bowl championships.

The victory was sweet redemption for the 49ers, who lost an overtime thriller to the New York Giants a year ago in the NFC title game.

The 49ers pulled off the biggest comeback victory in an NFC championship game, according to STATS. The previous NFC record was 13 points - Atlanta's victory over Minnesota in the 1999 title game, which sent the Falcons to what remains the only Super Bowl in franchise history.

In the AFC, the record is 18 points, when Indianapolis rallied New England in 2007.

Gore's 9-yard run midway through the fourth quarter completed the comeback from a 17-0 first-half deficit. The run came at the end of a short 38-yard drive set up by Ted Ginn Jr.'s 20-yard punt return.

Gore had a 5-yard touchdown run to cap an 82-yard drive to open the second half.

The high-scoring pace of the first half continued as the 49ers began their run of points. Colin Kaepernick had passes of 21 and 17 yards to Randy Moss in the drive. The 17-yarder moved the 49ers to the Falcons 5, setting up Gore's scoring run.

Matt Ryan threw three touchdown passes in the first half, including a 10-yard toss to Tony Gonzalez with 25 seconds remaining in the half. The score answered San Francisco's two straight touchdowns as Atlanta led 24-14 at halftime.

Ryan also threw touchdown passes of 20 and 46 yards to Julio Jones.