In the move from 3-9 in his first season to 4-8 during his second season at the helm, the progress report was pretty simple for Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason.

The defense was much improved, but the offense was more of the same disappointment that Commodores fans endured in 2014.

Let’s go down the roster, position by position, and have a look at why things turned out the way they did:

QUARTERBACKS

Handicapped by the departure of appointed starter Patton Robinette after spring practice, the Commodores turned to Johnny McCrary after the sophomore won a fall camp battle with Wade Freebeck. The results were disastrous, as McCrary threw 10 interceptions through six games as the starter. It prompted Mason to remove the redshirt from talented freshman Kyle Shurmur, who did most of the quarterbacking during the second half of the season. Predictably, the true freshman was overwhelmed at times during SEC play, but he’s considered the team’s future at the position. McCrary has since announced his intention to transfer.

Grade: D

RUNNING BACKS

Perhaps the lone offensive bright spot, Ralph Webb turned in one of the better rushing seasons in Vanderbilt history in spite of a woeful passing game and a battered offensive line. The sophomore rushed for 1,152 yards on 277 carries. Dallas Rivers and Josh Crawford were good enough in efforts to spell the workhorse as needed.

Grade: A

RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS

This group has not been the same since the departure of record-setting WR Jordan Matthews following the completion of the 2013 season. Sophomore Trent Sherfield showed flashes of becoming a potential go-to receiver, but he was much too inconsistent and struggled with drops at key moments throughout the season. Still, he led the team with 51 catches for 659 yards and three scores. Senior TE Steven Scheu was expected to be a major factor in 2015, but his 240 yards receiving and one touchdown were a disappointment for a team that could’ve used a reliable target in the middle of the field.

Grade: D

OFFENSIVE LINE

Losing tackle Andrew Jelks, who was arguably the Commodores most talented lineman, to a season-ending injury during fall camp didn’t help this unit at all. Anchored by center Spencer Pulley and guard Jake Bernstein, the Commodores ranked ninth in the league with 28 sacks allowed and allowed 70 tackles for loss during the 12-game season. The Commodores tied for 10th in the league in rushing yards per game.

Grade: D

DEFENSIVE LINE

Until this unit was blown out the water in the season finale against Tennessee, Vanderbilt was one of the best teams in the SEC against the run in 2015. The Commodores received solid contributions from senior DE Caleb Azubike (3.5 sacks) when healthy, as well as DL Adam Butler (three sacks) and Torey Agee (two sacks).

Grade: B

LINEBACKERS

Nigel Bowden was expected to be the shining star for this unit, but he missed most of the season due to issues from an early-season concussion. Instead, it was Zach Cunningham who became a household name for Commodores fans during 2015. He received first team All-SEC recognition for his efforts, which included a team-best 103 tackles and 16.5 tackles for loss. Senior Darreon Herring turned in a nice final season (64 tackles) and OLB Stephen Weatherly (3.5 sacks, 9.5 TFL) rushed the quarterback effectively enough to enter the NFL Draft a year early.

Grade: A

SECONDARY

Vanderbilt tied for the league lead with just 10 touchdown passes allowed in 2015. Junior CB Torren McGaster was the star of this group. Though he did not intercept a pass, he turned into a lock-down corner for the Commodores and a consistent helper against the run, accumulating 51 tackles and 13 pass breakups. S Oren Burks led the team with three interceptions and was second with six pass breakups. Fellow S Andrew Williamson had 41 tackles in 10 games.

Grade: B

SPECIAL TEAMS

Tommy Openshaw was asked to pull double-duty in 2015, primarily handling both placekicking and punting responsibilities. He made just 12 of 19 field goal attempts, which ranked him 12th in the SEC with a 63.2 percent conversion rate. His 40.9-yard average on 79 punts ranked him eighth in the SEC among qualifying punters. Darrius Sims had a disappointing season returning kickoffs, averaging just 19.9 yards on 25 returns, and Ryan White averaged 7.5 yards per return on 20 punts.

Grade: C-minus