GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The 'Dores are tired of getting their doors blown off when it comes to the football field.

And in his second season as head coach, James Franklin has them believing they should be just as good, if not one of the best teams in the SEC.

The Vanderbilt Commodores, once considered an afterthought in the sport of football, made only their fifth-ever bowl game in program history on the way to a 6-7 finish last season.

Vanderbilt competed in nearly all of their conference games, finishing with a 2-6 record, but losing only four of those contests by 6-points or less.

The Commodores renewed sense of optimism is sparked with arguably the SEC's most explosive offense, headlined by quarterback Jordan Rodgers and wide receiver Jordan Matthews.

Running back Zac Stacy returns as the program's single-season rushing leader from a year ago.

Add seven defenders returning from last season's squad, and there's a reason why the buzz in Nashville is growing.