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CINCINNATI - It may seem insignificant in the grand scheme, but when University of Cincinnati coach Tommy Tuberville saw the offense cheering the defense in the locker room after the game, it brought a smile to his face.
"That's the best we've played on defense in a while," Tuberville said, "in terms of making plays and building confidence."
For a program that has struggled mightily on defense the past few years that was indeed a good sign. So was the fact that the Bearcats forced three turnovers in their 28-7 season-opening victory over Tennessee-Martin on Thursday night before 28,520 fans at Nippert Stadium.
Maybe it wasn't the runaway victory that UC fans were hoping for against an FCS team that is now 1-21 all-time against FBS teams, but from Tuberville's standpoint, it was exactly what the doctor ordered.
"That sounds crazy that you'd like it to be close," Tuberville said, "but for this group, definitely. We needed to go out there, we needed to play and we needed adversity. We had that. We needed success after adversity and we had that."
The Bearcats, who have now won 29 straight non-conference games at Nippert, trailed, 7-6, at halftime, and didn't claim their first lead lead until late in the third quarter. They committed three turnovers - all in the first half - but they also forced three by UT Martin.
"That was emphasis we've had since the beginning of the season," said linebacker Eric Wilson. "Last year we didn't force very many turnovers. I'm just glad that we're starting to play as one team. We didn't have the busted plays that we had last year
UC sophomore quarterback Hayden Moore completed 21 passes in 34 attempts for 260 yards and one touchdown with one interception. He also fumbled once when he was hit on a sack.
"I know I can't do that," Moore said. "I need to make better decisions and protect the ball. When somebody's coming behind me, it doesn't matter."
Those three first-half turnovers were a haunting reminder of last year when the Bearcats ranks 124th of 127 teams nationally with a turnover margin of minus 19. Fortunately for UC, none of the turnovers led to UT Martin points. The Skyhawks returned the favor with a fumble by running back Jamiee Bowe on the UC 11 that was recovered by Alex Pace. They had two other chances to score following a UC turnover, but kicker Mitch Mersman missed two field goals - one from 37 yards, the other from 31.
Senior running back Tion Green gained 97 yards on 16 carries for UC. And wide receiver Devin Gray, a junior college transfer in his first major college appearance, caught five passes for 111 yards. UC gained 400 yards to 323 for UT Martin.
The Skyhawks accepted the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards on 14 plays to take a 7-0 lead on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Gunnar Holcombe to wide receiver Caylon Weathers. The Bearcats responded by driving to the UT Martin 7-yard line on their next possession, but kicker Josh Pasley, who was filling in for the injured Andrew Gantz, missed a 24-yard field goal attempt due largely to a bad hold, according to Tuberville.
The Bearcats got on the board for the first time with 19 seconds left in the first half when Moore connected with Nate Cole from three yards out, but Pasley missed the extra point, leaving UC facing a one-point deficit as the half ended.
They took their first lead with 2:42 left in the third quarter on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Moore to wide receiver Kahlil Lewis, then added a 2-point conversion on a pass from Moore to tight end DJ Dowdy to give UC a 14-7 lead. The key play in the drive was a 9-yard pass from Moore to Cole on fourth and six from the UT Martin 35 for a first down.
The Bearcats scored again with 5:31 left in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard run by Mike Boone at the end of an 11-play, 77-yard drive that gave them a 21-7 lead, then added a final touchdown with 2:16 left on a 58-yard interception return by Tyrell Gilbert.
The UC offense, under first-year coordinator Zac Taylor, featured a lot more emphasis on the running game. The Bearcats ran for 140 yards on 34 carries, averaging 4.1 yards per carry.
"I think we can do a lot better," Green said. "I think as the season progresses, we'll get better and better. We just need to get the jitters out of the way and I think we'll be fine."
That was Tuberville's message after the game, that the Bearcats need to play better as the level of competition improves beginning next week at Purdue.
"I would much rather have that type of game (instead of a blowout)," Tuberville said. "I think it proved to our guys where we're at a little bit and what we've got to work on. Overall, I thought it was a good game. Most of the offense is gonna grade out around a C and the defense will grade out around a B."
Bill Koch covered UC athletics for 27 years - 15 at The Cincinnati Post and 12 at The Cincinnati Enquirer - before joining the staff of GoBearcats.com in January, 2015.