Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason enters his third season in Nashville coming off a 4-8 record. The Commodores have a bona fide star in running back Ralph Webb, a quarterback with limited experience in Kyle Shurmur, and a defense that measures up across the SEC.

Surely that unit will test South Carolina when the two meet Thursday night.

For an insider’s perspective on what Gamecocks fans should know about the Commodores, Vanderbilt beat writer Adam Sparks of The Tennessean offered his view of the state of the Vanderbilt program:

How would you describe the confidence-level around Kyle Shurmur?

Sparks: I think it’s as high as expected for a guy who’s only started five games, and all those came after he initially looked to redshirt last season. But Shurmur also strikes me as a guy whose confidence is not going to yo-yo much. If he throws a TD on the first drive, I don’t think that will affect him much. And if he throws an interception, I don’t think it will faze him. He just seems to be pretty level-headed for a young quarterback.

After the numbers he put up last year, what are the expectations around Ralph Webb, and how much help will he get on offense?

Sparks: I think Webb is a known commodity. He had 907 yards as a freshman and 1,152 yards as a sophomore. He has amassed 489 carries – the most in a two-year period in Vanderbilt history – and he’s still been very durable, playing all 24 games. Webb should once again be a 1,000-yard rusher, regardless of how the offense does.

But getting him some help is another question. There are certainly reasons to believe the offense will improve with the return of WR C.J. Duncan (Achilles), tight end DeAndre Woods (ACL) and tight end Jared Pinkney (collarbone) from injuries. But Vanderbilt also moved Khari Blasingame from linebacker to running back, and they signed freshman fullback Bailey McElwain to clear the path in front of Webb.

How different do you expect the offense to be in Andy Ludwig’s second year?

Sparks: See above for some of the options the offense now has compared to last season. I think the return of C.J. Duncan especially helps because the passing game lacked options beyond Trent Sherfield and Caleb Scott last season. Duncan gives Shurmur another every-down threat to throw to.

There are questions on the offensive line because Vandy lost standout center Spencer Pulley to graduation and tackle Andrew Jelks to knee injury for the second straight season. If the starting five remain healthy, the line could play well. But injuries could really strain the line through the season.

Of course, the success of the offense hinges mostly on the play of Shurmur. Last season, if Vandy had better ball-protection at quarterback, it would probably have two more wins and a bowl bid. Shurmur needs to limit turnovers.

Is the defense strong enough to carry the team to a bowl game?

Sparks: Yes, it is. But it was strong enough to nearly do that last season. The offense and special teams simply committed too many errors to overcome. The defense should be strong again, but there will be some more wrinkles.

Oren Burks moved from safety to the new Star position, a hybrid linebacker/safety. Derek Mason has more depth than he had in the previous two years, so he could add some layers to the defense. Vandy’s linebackers should be very strong.

The questions will come on the defensive line and secondary. Both were pretty good last season, but they could be better – particularly in terms of sacks and takeaways.

How is Derek Mason handling preparations entering the season, where it appears the consensus opinion is he still needs to make improvements?

Sparks: I don’t think he feels any immense pressure – that is, beyond the regular pressure every SEC coach feels to win. This is by far the most comfortable he’s seemed in three seasons. Some of that is just a natural acclimation.

He showed his value as a defensive play-caller last season, which, I’m sure, gave him plenty of confidence. And he feels like he has better offensive personnel this season than the previous two years. Obviously, there is plenty riding on the first game because Vandy has a chance to be 1-0 in the SEC with an opportunity to pile up other wins in the first month of the season.

Despite the enormity of that game, Mason still seems pretty laid-back heading into the opener.