The Vanderbilt Commodores have seen their share of lumps this season. The Commodores opened their season with a 37-7 loss to Temple, which saw three different quarterbacks receive playing time.

Among them was Johnny McCrary, who threw two interceptions on 0-for-3 passing, after making a sporadic appearance in the third quarter. While Vanderbilt continued to see a carousel of quarterbacks throughout the season, McCrary didn’t make another appearance until Week 7, when he replaced injured quarterback Wade Freebeck.

The redshirt freshman led the Commodores to a 21-20 victory over Charleston Southern, their second win of the season. McCrary threw for 169 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 10-of-16 passing.

After two weeks of preparation, including a Week 8 bye, McCrary made his first start of the season in Week 9 against Missouri. He threw for 196 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on 17-of-31 passing, showing signs of potential against a tough Tigers defense.

But his biggest performance came last Saturday in Vanderbilt’s 42-28 win over Old Dominion. McCrary threw for 281 yards and five touchdowns, tying a school record shared by Jay Cutler and Bill Wade.

The redshirt freshman is one of several players that make up Vanderbilt’s young nucleus of talent. Despite the team’s struggles, redshirt freshmen Ralph Webb, C.J. Duncan and Nigel Bowden have provided solid individual performances throughout the season.

McCrary brings even more hope to Vanderbilt’s football program as a talented, young quarterback. His presence as an alternate mobile option helped Webb rush for a career-best 166 yards, setting a freshman record. Duncan added 65 yards and a touchdown on four catches.

The Commodores need to win out to secure bowl eligibility, which seems like a lost cause with three tough matchups remaining. However, McCrary brings hope to the Vanderbilt football program for the long term.

With preparation, McCrary has proved to be a solid dual-threat quarterback that should continue his progression with gained experience. Derek Mason’s team is far from a national powerhouse, but has the foundation to grow with solid talent at several positions.

Vanderbilt’s biggest problem this season has been inconsistency at quarterback. If McCrary can continue his success, the Commodores should have hope moving forward.