Were the Vanderbilt Commodores better in 2015 than they were in 2014? Most statistical measures say yes. Derek Mason won one more game than he did in his first year and two more SEC games than that disastrous 3-9 season. In 2014, their average margin of defeat was 16 points. This fall, it dropped to 5.8. In that first season, they ranked 104th in scoring defense. This season, they improved all the way to 21st in the nation.
Of course, it's difficult to call a four-win season a major step forward. Those advances weren't so apparent across the board.