Vanderbilt’s fourth-place finish in the SEC East Division is a sign the Commodores have made progress under second-year coach Derek Mason.

Mason’s first season in charge was a nightmare. Vanderbilt went winless in the SEC, 3-9 overall and lost eight games by double digits.

But this season, Vanderbilt (4-7, 2-5 SEC) earned its first SEC win in October against Missouri, got a second conference win against Kentucky and has been competitive in most games, including its near-upset of Florida in Gainesville. The Commodores will try to pull an upset Saturday at Tennessee.

In fact, Vanderbilt has only lost three games this season by double digits, and its average margin in SEC games this season has improved from minus-22.6 points last season to minus-7.6 this season.

Vanderbilt’s improvement has been a result of its defense’s performance. This season, Vanderbilt’s defense has allowed only 18.1 points and 334 yards per game. The Commodores third-down defense and red zone defense also has been excellent.

The major change Mason made last offseason on defense was to take over as Vanderbilt’s defensive coordinator, and it’s clear he’s getting through to his defenders.

Vanderbilt’s offense is slowly evolving. RB Ralph Webb, arguably Vanderbilt’s best offensive player, has played well of late. The sophomore, rushed for 99 yards vs. Missouri and Houston, 118 yards vs. Florida, 113 yards vs. Kentucky and 79 yards vs. Texas A&M.

But the Commodores have no balance between the run and the pass. Both of Vanderbilt’s QBs, Kyle Shurmur (who has started four of the past five games) and Johnny McCrary (who started the first six games), have struggled to throw the football, combining for only five TD passes.

But if the Commodores can get Shurmur, a ESPN 300 recruit in the 2015 class, on track, they might become a threat in the East. An effective passing attack is all the Commodores need to become a division challenger.