Name: Black & Gold Spring Game
Time: 2 p.m. ET
TV: SEC Network
Location: Vanderbilt Stadium (Nashville, Tenn.)
Format: Starters vs. Starters
Scoring System: Offensive touchdown — 6 points, field goal — 3 points, extra point — 1 point, two-point conversion — 2 points, offensive play of 15 yards or more — 1 point, defensive touchdown — 12 points, interception — 6 points, fumble recovery by the defense — 6 points, sack — 2 points, missed field goal — 3 points, unsuccessful two-point conversion — 2 points, three-and-out possession — 1 point.

Vanderbilt, one of two FBS programs (along with Duke) to start spring practice in the middle of February, will become the first SEC team to stage a spring game Saturday.

The Commodores won’t end all organized football activity after the game despite concluding the 15th allowed practice. Per NCAA rules, coaches can spend eight hours per week with the players for the remainder of the semester. Most of that allotted time will go toward strength and conditioning, but Vandy also will hold a few positional meetings for film study.

Here are five things the team needs to accomplish during its spring game.

1. DETERMINE A CLEAR NO. 1 AND NO. 2 AT QB

From the sound of it, Vandy is all but ready to separate the top two contenders for the starting quarterback job. Most everyone expects Patton Robinette and Johnny McCrary will enter the summer as the only two men capable of winning the job.

How they perform in the spring game could go a long way to establishing an early favorite as well, particularly if one of them performs much better. Also, Shawn Stankavage is the one Vanderbilt quarterback that the team’s fans didn’t get to watch last fall.

You can bet that new offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig is going to leverage this opportunity to evaluate the position under more game-like conditions.

2. DO WELL WITH BASIC EXECUTION

Coach Derek Mason comes from a Stanford program that has produced its share of NFL offensive linemen and tight ends, among other positions. But mainly, the Cardinal have won by out-executing opponents.

That’s why it was so shocking to see the ‘Dores look unprepared at times last season. Sloppy execution helped Temple demolish them in the embarrassing opener, and then FCS school Charleston Southern came close due to similar issues. Vandy finished 3-9 not only because of a talent drain, but also because it couldn’t execute its plays at a high level.

Most of the play-calling on both sides of the ball Saturday will be vanilla. Mason needs his team to show it’s ready to execute a much higher percentage of its assignments.

3. EVALUATE THE BACKFIELD

Ralph Webb put together a nice freshman season for the Commodores in ’14, launched on the back of a 114-yard rushing performance in the spring game.

But Vandy entered the fall with a strong one-two punch returning at running back in Jerron Seymour (14 TDs in 2013) and Brian Kimbrow. Both players were off the team by the end of the season.

Webb set the school’s freshman rushing record, but averaged 4.3 yards per carry. Granted, the Vanderbilt offensive line didn’t dominate and defenses didn’t respect the threat of a pass. But I’m not so sure he’s the guaranteed, unquestioned lead back.

It’s unlikely Webb will come off the bench. But I think it’s possible for ’15 sophomore Dallas Rivers or Darrius Sims to earn a larger share of the work with a strong game Saturday. (Sims, recruited as a cornerback, converted to the backfield this spring.) The position is crucial for the success of the team, even as the program strains for something resembling competency at quarterback.

4. POTENTIAL BREAKOUTS IN THE SECONDARY

As I mentioned previously, Webb made a name for himself during last year’s spring game, as did tight end Steven Scheu and linebacker Nigel Bowden.

There’s a solid chance this year’s breakout player will reveal himself Saturday.

Tre Herndon, a member of the ’14 class, played in all 12 games as a three-star true freshman. He reportedly has played well in practice, and with Sims transitioning away from the defensive backfield, Herndon could be an important cornerback and special teams player this fall.

The ‘Dores weren’t good in pass coverage last season, but perhaps ’14 four-star safety Emmanuel Smith can put himself in position for a greater impact.

5. TIGHT ENDS REMAIN THE FOCAL POINT

Don’t be fooled by Ludwig’s assertion that he’ll build his offense around the skill set of whomever wins the starting quarterback job, as if he’ll be starting on a blank blueprint when that happens.

Mason’s teams probably always will showcase the tight ends, as along as he’s a head coach.

It’s hard to blame Vandy with the presence of Scheu, who caught a team-high 39 passes last season.

Then there’s Sean Dowling, who has dropped 16 pounds and converted to a 272-pound blocking tight end. He’ll be deployed as a sixth offensive lineman for the most part but now has the mobility to be used in the passing game as well. Nathan Marcus, a 6-foot-5 redshirt freshman who emerged as a red zone target during the second half of the ’14 season, could see a larger role as well.

Will either of those players show out Saturday?