Unfortunately for Bobby Johnson, his words ended up being prophetic.

Asked prior to this season what the next step was for Vanderbilt after winning seven games, including a bowl game, a year ago, Johnson said the first order of business was making sure the Commodores didn’t take a step back.

Well, that’s exactly what they did in 2009. Injuries played a big role in the Commodores (2-10, 0-8) not winning a conference game for the first time since Johnson’s first season at Vanderbilt in 2002. But even more crippling was an offense that ranked 114^th nationally in scoring.

The Commodores never scored more than 16 points against an SEC opponent and only scored more than 10 points twice in conference play. Losing receiver Terence Jeffers-Harris to academics before the season was a huge blow. He was a transfer from Connecticut who had shown some explosiveness down the field in spring practice. But during the season, Vanderbilt’s passing game was nonexistent.

Vanderbilt played respectably on defense all season, but the wear and tear of having to play 12 straight weeks without a bye eventually took its toll.

Offensive MVP: Warren Norman, RB. For much of the season, Norman was the Commodores’ only offense. He finished eighth in the SEC in rushing with 783 yards, averaging 5.3 yards per carry and also returned three kickoffs for touchdowns on his way to earning SEC Freshman of the Year honors and leading the league in all-purpose yards.

Defensive MVP: Chris Marve, LB. One of the toughest players you’re going to find anywhere, Marve played a large portion of the season with an injured shoulder, but still wound up finishing second in the SEC with 121 tackles and also forced three fumbles.

Turning point: Vanderbilt was rarely blown out this season and went into the Army game with a 2-3 record. But after losing that game 16-13 in overtime to the Black Knights, the Commodores never won again. It was a bitter loss, as Norman lost a fumble at the 1-yard line during Vanderbilt’s overtime possession.

What’s next: Johnson has upgraded the talent at most positions. But he has to address the offensive struggles. This was two years in a row that the Commodores weren’t very good on offense. They went to a no-huddle attack this season, but had very little success. The good news is that Warren and fellow freshman running back Zac Stacy both showed a lot of promise. The Commodores need to find some playmakers at receiver.