NASHVILLE -- Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl has a one-way agenda when it comes to turnovers. He expects his team to force them, not commit them.

That's why he was shaking his head after the Vols' 78-71 victory over Fordham in a first-round game of the NIT Season Tip-Off on Monday night at Gaylord Entertainment Center.

"The quality of play may have set the game back a few years," Pearl said. "I don't think Naismith intended for us to turn the ball over 55 times."

Fordham had 29 turnovers, including 20 in the first half. UT had 26 -- 18 in the first half.

"We're a young team that's trying to find a way to play hard and make the other team sloppy without having it affect ourselves," Pearl said. "If you had come to practice and watched us a couple of weeks ago, that's what we looked like."

That's not what the Vols looked like last season when they won 22 of 30 games. But that team had senior C.J. Watson at point guard.

"There's no doubt C.J. Watson himself would have been able to settle the team down," Pearl said. "But C.J.'s not here."

In his place is freshman Ramar Smith. He and four other UT freshmen combined for 14 turnovers against Fordham.

"It's very uncharacteristic of our team," Pearl said. "Last year, we turned it over about 13 times a game, and we were very up-tempo. But you can't blame it all on the freshmen."

Although Smith had four turnovers in his second college game, he also flashed the talent that made him such a heralded recruit.

"I think Ramar made progress," Pearl said. "He filled up a stat sheet. He scored, he knocked down a 3, he had five rebounds and a tipped dunk. I think he will continue to play better."

Smith's 3-pointer was well-timed. It gave the Vols a 28-26 lead after a 20-7 Fordham run.

But turnovers repeatedly overshadowed shooting, particularly in the first half.

"We work very hard to make our opponent play sloppy," UT senior Dane Bradshaw said. "For some reason, it was contagious."

The game was similar to last year's season opener when UT forced 33 turnovers and made a season-high 23 in a 106-83 victory over East Tennessee State. The Vols also had 23 turnovers in an 83-78 victory against Georgia last season.

In two games this season, the Vols already have 48 turnovers.