It was a disaster of a season, and last month wasn't much better.
After posting consecutive 9-4 records under former football coach James Franklin, the Vanderbilt Commodores plummeted to 3-9 last year in Derek Mason's debut, winning only at the expense of Massachusetts, Charleston Southern and Old Dominion. Hopes of rebounding this season were hampered last month when top deep-threat receiver C.J. Duncan and starting left tackle Andrew Jelks sustained season-ending injuries.
The Commodores open Thursday night against Western Kentucky at Vanderbilt Stadium, a game that will be televised by the SEC Network at 8 EDT.
"We learned from every mistake last year and from all the losses we had," optimistic junior outside linebacker Stephen Weatherly told reporters this week. "We've definitely turned all that around. We're going to be a lot better than we were last year, and we're definitely ready to start the season off on the right foot."
Mason has tired of recalling last year, stating Tuesday in a news conference that this is an opportunity for fans to see and judge the 2015 Commodores.
"It's been a long nine months," Mason said, "and our guys have done everything they can for this moment. We've been locked and loaded on this game for three and a half weeks. The opportunity is there, and we want to make sure we play our best game."
Vanderbilt opened earlier this summer as a 17.5-point favorite over the Hilltoppers. The Commodores are now 2-point underdogs.
Mason dismissed each of his coordinators from last season and has taken over the role of calling the defensive signals, which he did in the 24-17 loss to Tennessee. Guiding the offense now is Andy Ludwig, who has yet to announce whether redshirt sophomore Johnny McCrary or sophomore Wade Freebeck will be the starting quarterback.
Patton Robinette was the most effective quarterback last season and again this past spring, but lingering effects from a concussion he suffered against South Carolina last September led him to give up the sport.
McCrary appeared in seven games last season, completing 51.3 percent of his passes for 985 yards with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions. Freebeck appeared in five games, completing 47.2 percent of his passes for 376 yards with one score and five pickoffs.
"I am confident in the quarterback position as a whole," Ludwig told reporters, "and I have great confidence in the players who will be taking the field for us Thursday night."
Will Holden moved from right tackle to left tackle after Jelks went down, and Ludwig said the injury should not affect Vanderbilt's desire to use the tight end as a prominent receiving target. Senior tight end Steven Scheu led the Commodores last season in receptions (39) and yards (525).
Ludwig doesn't consider this a rebuilding project as much as installing a new offense that is based on the strengths and abilities of his players. The Commodores averaged 17.2 points per game last season and 12.8 points in SEC games, but scoring was not a problem at Western Kentucky.
The Hilltoppers closed their 8-5 season with five consecutive wins, including a 67-66 overtime upset of previously undefeated Marshall and a 49-48 triumph over Central Michigan in the Bahamas Bowl. Returning for WKU is quarterback Brandon Doughty, who completed 375 of 552 passes (67.9 percent) for 4,830 yards with 49 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
"They are the fastest team we've played since we went to Texas A&M (in 2013) when they had Johnny Manziel," Weatherly said.
Vanderbilt is led offensively by sophomore tailback Ralph Webb, who rushed for 907 yards last season. Webb insists the Commodores will come out stronger than last season, when a 37-7 home loss to Temple quickly derailed hopes of a fourth consecutive bowl bid.
"We had a lot of rain delays that night, but we're not using that as an excuse," Webb said. "We need to come out mentally sharp."
Webb and inside linebacker Nigel Bowden headline a promising crop of sophomore Commodore. Those include former East Hamilton cornerback Tre Herndon, who could notch his first career start against WKU. They've got close-to-home talent coming up behind them.
Thursday could be the on-field debut for all five of Vanderbilt's Nashville-area signees: fullback Kyle Anderton, defensive backs Andrew Rector and Donovan Sheffield and linebackers Jay Hockaday and Josh Smith.
"Of the guys we recruited locally, I don't believe we missed on one of them," Mason said. "They're playing fast. They're young and are having to adjust to the college tempo, but the thing they do every day is compete, and that's all you can ask."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.