When you go through a 4-8 season that includes just two conference wins, it’s often hard to find highlights to smile over. That was a case for Vanderbilt last year. The Commodores fought hard and played a lot of close games, but in the end the bad days outweighed the good.

There were a few highlights, of course. The Vandy defense had some impressive moments, but the big star was running back Ralph Webb. The standout sophomore from Gainesville, Fla., rushed for 1,152 yards, good for seventh in the SEC. It was his second straight sparkling season, having toted the rock for 907 yards as a freshman.

He is, without question, Vandy’s best player.

Oct 24, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores running back Ralph Webb (7) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Missouri Tigers during the first half at Vanderbilt Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

But he can’t do it alone. The running game is critical to the Commodores, but there’s plenty of other factors and faces that will make it go in 2016.

Here’s a look at the Vandy running game in 2016:

ROTATION

The backfield rotation will start with Webb, of course, as well it should. He has gained 2,059 yards in two years and is already eighth all-time on the Vandy career rushing list. At the top of the heap is Zac Stacy, who rushed for 3,143 yards from 2009 to 2012 and Webb has him in his sights.

Josh Crawford is the likely backup, but he gained only 54 yards on 18 carries last year, a modest 3.0 yards per carry average. Depth needs to emerge during workouts in August for everyone to feel comfortable.

The other backs in the mix for occasional carries are Jaire George, Khari Blasingame and Dallas Rivers. George had 27 yards on five carries in the pass-heavy spring game.

2015 rushing stats

Yards per game (SEC rank): 154.67 (10th)
Yards per carry: 3.75 (12th)
Rushing touchdowns: 9 (13th)

CHASING 1,000

Stacy and Webb are the only two Vandy backs to crack 1,000 yards in the past decade.

Stacy did it in consecutive seasons in 2011 and 2012. Webb will try to match that this season, if not topple Stacy’s single-season school mark of 1,193 yards, set in 2011.

Webb is among the biggest locks in the SEC to hit 1,000 this season. You know he’ll get plenty of work and he has a track record to back him up. Barring injury, it’s extremely unlikely that he’ll fall short of the 1,000-yard goal.

PLAY-CALLING

Offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig had his hands full finding a balance last year. Vanderbilt struggled to throw the ball all season and there was never a good answer. Johnny McCrary threw too many interceptions and eventually lost his starting job to freshman Kyle Shurmur.

Despite the predictability and stacked defensive fronts, Vandy still was largely successful on first down. It ran 211 times on first down for an average of 4.66 yards. Alabama averaged just 4.17 yards per carry on first down.

The Commodores had more big plays on first down, too: Their 27 runs of 10-plus yards nearly equalled the 29 they totaled on second and third downs.

The highlight, of course, was Webb’s 74-yard touchdown run on first down during his homecoming return to Gainesville.

Vandy was so predictable and so reliant on the running game last season that it ran 35 times on 3rd-and-7 or longer — rather than risk anything going wrong in the passing game.

Part of the reason was Shurmur was nowhere near ready to play against SEC defenses as a true freshman.  But the good thing is he got a taste of things. Vandy will have dual threats outside for a change in Trent Sheffield (below) and C.J. Duncan and with better offensive line play, Ludwig should be able to mix things up more while still relying heavily on Webb and the running game.

This is a big year for Ludwig. He needs to show he can move the ball with better pieces in place.

Nov 7, 2015; Gainesville, FL, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores wide receiver Trent Sherfield (10) during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

GREATEST CONCERN

The Vandy offense was so reliant on Webb last season that if he misses any time due to injury this year, it could be devastating. There is no experienced backup and this offense runs through him more than any in the league outside of LSU and Leonard Fournette.

It’s imperative that Webb stays healthy all year and that’s a lot to ask from a running back who’s played in 24 straight games, never missing an outing and carrying the ball at least 11 times in every game.

Is it asking to much to stay healthy three years in a row, especially with all the carries he’s sure to get?

Sep 26, 2015; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive back A.J. Moore (30) tackles Vanderbilt Commodores running back Ralph Webb (7) during the game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mississippi Rebels beat Vanderbilt Commodores 27-16. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

ONE STAT THAT MUST IMPROVE

It’s all about the scoreboard in college football and in Derek Mason’s third year as head coach, there are no such things as moral victories any more.

That’s why Vandy needs to score more points. Of the 128 FBS teams tracked by cfbstats.com last year, Vandy was tied for 124th in scoring in the country. That’s pathetic. They averaged only 15.2 points per game a year ago, and only UCF, Missouri and Kent State were worse.

The average needs to rise by at least six points this year if the Commodores are going to find a way to be bowl eligible. And they can’t just rely on the run. As great as Webb is, he ran for just five of their nine touchdowns last season.

BETTER OR WORSE IN 2016

The Vanderbilt running game, even with Webb, was just 88th in the country, according to cfbstats.com. This year, they will be better. Webb, though just a lightly regarded three-star recruit coming out of high school, is now a proven star. He’ll be better on his own, but he’ll also benefit from a more balanced offense.

Nov 21, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Kyle Shurmur (14) drops back to pass during the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Vanderbilt Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Shurmur (above) made strides in the passing game this spring and should be able to pass the ball better this year. Doing so will get rid of some of those eight-man and nine-man boxes that Webb faced a year ago. The offense looked much improved in the spring, and often moved the ball well against that stout Vandy defense in workouts, scrimmages and the early spring game.

Look for all of that to add up to improvements in the fall. We’ll find out right away, because Vandy opens the season Sept. 1 against South Carolina. There will be no grace periods this year.