It was a new-look C.J. Beathard that won Saturday as the 49ers’ starting quarterback.

First, we saw his freshly cut hair. He’d grown it out the past year as a tribute to his youngest brother, Clayton, who was murdered a year ago outside a Nashville bar.

Second, look at the stats. He’d never thrown three touchdown passes in a game in his career, which shouldn’t be surprising considering he went 1-9 with those 2017 and ’18 teams lacking a talented pit crew.

“It means more than I can really put into words,” Beathard said. “Everything I’ve been through the last year and it being the year anniversary of my brother passing, you can’t put it into words other than it’s God, and you couldn’t write a script like this.”

Beathard also showed familiar traits, such as a third-down sack on the first series but also the most mobility by a 49ers quarterback since Colin Kaepernick’s 2016 farewell.

Most of all, Beathard oozed leadership and poise.

“Just his leadership out there, the way guys gravitated to him, you could feel it all week in practice,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “You could tell how hard they played for him too. I was very impressed by C.J. and very happy for him, too.”

Beathard’s response: “I appreciate that compliment. I just felt this week in general, as an offense and defense, with everything we’d been through, and it was Christmas so a lot of practice stuff was moved around, and guys were in a hotel without their families, I credit the guys, and they inspire me more than anything.”

Player after player praised Beathard for his poise and his work behind the scenes these past couple years as a backup.

“The guy inspires us so much and we’re so happy to go perform for him,” fullback Kyle Juszczyk said. “A lot of guys could have bowed out tonight and we didn’t have to do what we did for him.”

One unmistakable guy was tight end George Kittle, who returned from a Nov. 1 foot fracture to enjoy another dose of Saturday football with his former Iowa teammate. Kittle and Beathard arrived at Iowa in 2012 as redshirt freshmen, and the 49ers drafted them both in 2017.

“”He was incredible. I’d said he was going to play inspired and would play relentless, and he was today. He made play after play,” Kittle said. “Overall he handled himself incredible and it was really fun to play some Saturday football again with my brother again.”

Beathard’s postgame attire honored his late brother, Clayton. Beathard wore a jacket with the word “King” next to a picture of his Clayton, whose pastor in New York recently sent the jacket to the 49ers’ quarterback as a cherished gift.

“It’s got a lot of meaning for me,” Beathard said. “First and foremost, the King is our lord and savior Jesus Christ. It has a lot of irony with me, just because my brother’s middle name was King; so Clayton King Beathard was his full name. And my other brother, Tucker, dedicated his album to Clay and it was called ‘King.’

“Clay’s pastor in New York got this made for me and sent it to me. It drove me to tears when I saw it.”

Beathard did have a more light-hearted moment en route to Saturday’s win. He noted that the 49ers’ mood was “pretty light” as they drove for what should have been a win-clinching field goal, which Robbie Gould missed with 65 seconds to go.

“I haven’t been in the huddle in a game where we were up with two minutes left and getting ready to kick another field goal,” Beathard said. “It was pretty light but not over yet. It was too close for comfort.

“It was fun and every run felt like a gash. No matter what we called, we knew we’d execute and it would be a positive play for us.”

They now have one more game to play, against the NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks, back at Arizona’s State Farm Stadium, where the 49ers’ relocated to this month because of Santa Clara County’s COVID-19 regulations.