Rams had suffered a heaviest defeat in 10 years at Plymouth seven days earlier, but were in sensational form from the moment Morgan MacRae grabbed an early brace.
Axel Kalling-Smith, Mike Cooke, Zach Clow and Luke Graham also crossed in the first half as the hosts led 42-19.
Leicester continued to battle and despite tries from Pete Austin and Ollie Hodgson, were in the game at 52-38.
Yet Rams regathered with teenage debutant Ryan Carr, Cooke and skipper Willo Bicknell adding gloss to the scoreline.
‘We wrestled control back well’
Victory snapped a three-match losing run, with Owen admitting: “We had things we needed to address, but we’d had a very positive week and I thought Willo spoke very well as captain on Thursday.
“The boys went out and it was a pleasing response.
“Fair play to Leicester, they keep plugging away.
“It’s been a tough season for them, but they’ve got some outstanding players in their ranks.
“If you give them a sniff of an opportunity, they move the ball well and played some super rugby – at times we struggled to match them.
“But one of the most pleasing things was the way we wrestled control back and pulled away at the end.
“We didn’t try and slow it down, we had pace and intensity and finished things by putting the foot down further.”
He continued: “The side has had it in them. We’ve seen glimpses and it was great to see the way they responded.
“When you see us put the flowing, continuity game out there, it’s wonderful to see.
“The stuff some of the forwards are doing with the handling is phenomenal.
“They work hard on those skills with (DoR) Seb (Reynolds) and (backs coach) Harry (Stapleton) and it’s positive they’re able to produce.
“Hopefully it’s a step forward and gives the guys confidence.”
Praise for teenage debutant Carr
Carr was among those to catch the eye as he became the first former junior to play at Level Three in eight years.
And Owen concluded: “The assist he gave for Zach’s score was absolutely fantastic, and when his chance came he held his width and finished well.
“I’m pleased to see Ryan come through the system, he’s done well and (defence coach) Danny (Batty) joked he’s back to school during the week. It’s crazy.
“It’s been a while since we had a junior come through, but extremely exciting.
“I wish him all the best, and it’s great for all the minis and juniors to see it happen.
“It’s been a great day. The sun came out which made a difference – it makes it easier to play that way – and hopefully the supporters enjoyed some amazing rugby.
“The crowd was fantastic and we’re grateful for their support.
“With two of the last three at home, hopefully it stays the same.”
