Many questioned if Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason was taking on too much by becoming his own defensive coordinator. After a lackluster first year with the Commodores, maybe it was too much to ask of himself.
Well, so much for the concern. Vanderbilt's defense has risen from the bottom half of the SEC in 2014 to being one of the league's best through nine games. After giving up 425 yards and 35 points per game in SEC play last year, the Commodores rank sixth in yards allowed (352.8) and scoring defense (17.8) in conference play. Only Mississippi State has surrendered fewer touchdowns to SEC opponents (eight) than Vandy (nine).