Joe Imel/Daily News Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson runs for an 89-yard touchdown Sunday as the Titans defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 30-13 at LP Field in Nashville. Johnson set a franchise record with 228 yards as the Titans won their first game of the season. -- Click here for a photo slideshow from the game.

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NASHVILLE — Vince Young’s return as starting quarterback was a triumphant one Sunday in the Tennessee Titans’ 30-13 victory over Jacksonville at LP Field.

It was the sort of day Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams hoped for when he suggested Young replace Kerry Collins under center after the club’s 0-6 start.

Young finished 15-for-18 for 125 yards and a touchdown, adding 30 rushing yards.

Adams said he suggested the switch back to Young mainly because he wanted to evaluate the 2006 Offensive Rookie of the Year, who is due a $4.25 million roster bonus in March.

“I talked to (head coach Jeff Fisher) and said (former starter Kerry Collins) wasn’t doing as well as he should be doing and we have to find out about Vince because his contract will be coming up,” Adams said. “If we wanted to find out how he had developed the last two years, we had to get him in and see what he could do. Otherwise, we’re going to have a high draft choice and we need to be looking for another quarterback.”

Adams said he was pleased with what he saw Sunday.

“I’d give him a pretty high grade,” Adams said. “He looked all right out there. I think he’s come around a lot.”

The joy helped soothe some of the sting of an 0-6 start, including an embarrassing 59-0 loss two weeks ago in New England. When asked if perhaps the Titans waited too long to switch back to Young - who started last season’s opener before giving way to Collins - Adams said that wasn’t his decision.

“That’s the coaches’ decision,” Adams said. “I’m not saying he did or didn’t. I just go by the scores.”

More Young praise

Adams wasn’t the only person singing Young’s praises.

Tight end Bo Scaife, who played college football with Young at the University of Texas, said he was really proud of the quarterback.

“He takes so much bad press from media around the world,” Scaife said. “I hate it for him because he’s my friend. Every time he gets in a situation like that, he always bounces back.”

Linebacker Keith Bulluck was also appreciative of Young’s performance.

“He went out there and performed,” Bulluck said. “He did what he asked to do. He didn’t make many mistakes - and if he did, they weren’t visible. He did what the coaches asked him to do.”

Defensive turnaround

Sunday’s defensive performance against Jacksonville was a far cry from the first meeting in early October, when Jaguars quarterback David Garrard threw for 323 yards and three touchdowns in a 37-17 decision over Tennessee.

Garrard finished Sunday’s game 14-for-27 for 139 yards and two picks, while the Titans defense recorded four sacks.

“We changed a lot of things up in our defense,” Bulluck said. “We might have brought a little more pressure. We gave him so many different looks. We didn’t just line up and let him do what he wanted to do.”

Bulluck added that the return of cornerback Cortland Finnegan and safety Vincent Fuller, who both missed the first meeting with injuries, helped change the defense’s fortunes Sunday.

“It was important to have experienced guys,” Bulluck said. “It was important to have guys that had made plays in this league. It was important to have pretty much the corps of our defense. Since the Jets game, we’ve kind of been at a handicap, but that is what this game is about.”

The bulk of Jacksonville’s offense came on two plays by running back Maurice Jones Drew, who broke off touchdown runs of 80 and 79 yards.

“Take away those two runs and I think that is the best we’ve played defensively all year - including the first game of the season (against Pittsburgh),” Bulluck said.