Vanderbilt noticeably better in Mason's second season

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Vanderbilt running back Ralph Webb (7) runs for yards against Mississippi in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015. No. 3 Mississippi won 27-16. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

The Vanderbilt Commodores had nowhere to go but up in Derek Mason's second season as head football coach following last year's debacle of a debut.

They have been unmistakably better through five games and could prove it again Saturday with a victory at South Carolina, which would even their overall record at 3-3. The Gamecocks may be in disarray given coach Steve Spurrier's sudden departure, and a Vanderbilt win would snap its 10-game SEC losing streak since Mason's arrival.

"This group has done a terrific job of sticking to the plan," Mason said. "We're getting better every week, and we just have to continue to press forward. We're just continuing to find ways to make sure we stay relevant."

The Commodores lost half of their league games last season by 24 or more points, including a 41-3 shellacking against Ole Miss in September and a 51-0 humiliation against Mississippi State in November. They hung around last month against Georgia and Ole Miss, with the game against the Rebels in Oxford deadlocked at 13 before the hosts pulled away for a 27-16 win.

Vanderbilt prevailed 17-13 at Middle Tennessee on Oct. 3, the first road win for the Commodores under Mason, and had last Saturday off.

"I think the biggest difference is just the overall team culture," Mason said. "A year ago, we were young and inexperienced and trying to get everybody on the same page. Everybody is on the same page now, and what we're trying to do is detail our work across the board."

Mason took over defensive play-calling duties in last season's finale against Tennessee, when the Commodores had their best league showing before falling 24-17. Last year's Commodores allowed 402.1 yards per game, but this year's team is yielding 320.8.

Vanderbilt also has gone from giving up a league-worst 33.2 points per game to just 18.4, which ranks fifth in the SEC.

"We just believe in each other," redshirt junior cornerback Torren McGaster told reporters after the win in Murfreesboro. "We're fighting for each other, and we don't give up."

Mason hired Andy Ludwig from Wisconsin after last season to run the offense, and improvement has been noticeable there as well. The Commodores are rushing for 157.0 yards a game after managing a league-worst 109.7 a year ago, and their passing offense not only has jumped from 179.1 to 255.4 yards per game but has been energized by sophomore receiver Trent Sherfield, who averages 6.8 catches and 93.0 yards a contest.

With such sharp upgrades in both facets offensively, the credit is going not only to Ludwig but also the play up front.

"I think our offensive line has really improved," Mason said. "I think Keven Lightner is doing a terrific job of getting that line to come alive with some young players like Barrett Gouger and Justin Skule. We've mixed and matched a couple of players in there, but that group has done a terrific job of staying in it."

Said redshirt sophomore tailback Ralph Webb: "Our offensive line is doing a great job. We know that 3- and 4-yard runs can turn into 6- and 12-yard runs and eventually into touchdowns. We've got to keep working and keep pounding forward."

Gouger, a redshirt junior out of Baylor School, has started all five games at right guard.

The Commodores opened last year with a humbling 37-7 home loss to Temple and never recovered. They were 1-5 at the midpoint, eliminating any talk of a fourth consecutive bowl appearance.

A win this Saturday would keep the Commodores in the postseason discussion, though the second half of their season is shaping up to be tougher than the first.

"That's not really in my focus right now," Mason said. "When you look at our first five games, there is a lot fundamentally that we need to clean up. The goal with this team is going 1-0 every week, so we're in a one-game playoff every week, and we need to maximize that opportunity and not go past that."

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.