Also, though Trump was taking a beat down early on, I think that (unexpected by the moderators) he ended up with a strong finish on the last question, "Can you say one nice thing about your opponent?". I think the moderators were hoping for one of the expected Trump smart ass name calling attacks.
Hillary went with the backhand of "his children" while Trump praised Clinton's tenacity, even though he disagrees with much of what she's tenacious about. That was the much stronger answer, since it implies confidence and strength of position if you can afford to give your opponent straight up praise.