Nashvillle, TENN--Vanderbilt sits at 2-2 with plenty to play for as it enters its bye week in year four of Clark Lea's tenure.

Here are three quick takes, two questions and a prediction as Vanderbilt enters the rest of its schedule.

Three quick takes:

They're improved

Vanderbilt sits at 2-2 through four games, but its hard to hold negative feelings about its outlook to this point.

A team that didn't come within 15 points of an SEC opponent last season just pushed a top 10 team to double overtime on the road and is seven points away from being 4-0.

The talent level is very clearly improved within Clark Lea's program at just about every level, their systems appear to be effective and repeatable while they're more motivated than Lea's past teams have been.

Vanderbilt also found its quarterback in Diego Pavia, something that hasn't been able to be said often throughout Lea's tenure.

That's a recipe for a different outlook than Lea's teams have previously had. It doesn't guarantee better results, but having what looks to be his best team helps.

Tim Beck deserves more credit

Vanderbilt has some obvious questions at receiver and hasn't yet unlocked Cole Spence or a consistent downfield passing game, but has still found itself in games as a result of its offense.

Under Beck that offense has maximized its strengths, it's been balanced and it's been far more effective than it was a season ago.

The calls have made sense and they've allowed Beck's offense to consistently move down the field despite a talent gap in some ways. Has it been perfect? No, but it's been significantly better.

Perhaps most notably, they've allowed an offense previously without an identity to embrace one.

The Commodores are top 100 in the country in rushing yards per carry, are one of just two SEC teams with a turnover or less and have utilized tight end Eli Stowers consistently.

Beck's offense has been fun and it's played effectively to its ground-heavy, ball-control offense.

Vanderbilt's defense hasn't quite lived up to expectations

It felt like the strength of Vanderbilt's team throughout fall camp was its defense, that hasn't been the case throughout the first four weeks of its season.

Vanderbilt has given up 421.67 yards per game against FBS opponents, surrendered a season-high 212 yards on the ground against Missouri and has surrendered 31 points per game against FBS opponents.

Lea's defense has shown flashes of improved pass rush and has seen flashes of excellence from its linebackers but hasn't quite led the team in the way that seemed to be realistic in the preseason.

Vanderbilt's primary defensive concerns come in the secondary and in the run game, particularly if Zaylin Wood has to miss extended time.

Two questions:

What does Vanderbilt do in its within reach games?

How Vanderbilt performs against Alabama and Tennessee likely won't determine the outcome of its season. That will come in its contest with Auburn, Kentucky, South Carolina and perhaps LSU.

Vanderbilt likely has to get three of those games in order to get to six wins and become bowl eligible.

That's the goal and the standard for Lea's program. It doesn't have to push top 10 teams to the brink or upset them consistently, it just has to beat the teams within its wheelhouse.

The path isn't as difficult as it once seemed despite a back-breaking loss to Georgia State.

Do Cole Spence, Quincy Skinner and Junior Sherrill become more involved?

Vanderbilt's best pass catcher to this point has been New Mexico State tight end transfer Eli Stowers, who has 10 more receptions than its next most productive threat and nearly over 100 yards more.

Outside of Stowers, Vanderbilt has just two receivers with above 100 yards on the season. Sherrill has 132 on nine catches while Sherrill has 104 on seven. The Commodores' fourth leading receiver in yardage is Joseph McVay, who has one catch for 56 yards.

With the way its schemes play, Vanderbilt's offense will never be defined by its receiver but it may need a higher level of play from that position to compete moving forward.

Offensive coordinator Tim Beck could also look to utilize tight end Cole Spence more moving forward after Spence's productive fall camp. Spence has just two receptions through four games that have resulted in 29 yards receiving.

The 6-foot-7 tight end has been nursing a hamstring injury and could be near full health for the first time in awhile as Vanderbilt takes the field against Alabama in its fifth game. The Georgia native has been an effective blocker through four games, but hasn't made the impact in the passing game that seemed to be inevitable in the fall.

One prediction:

Vanderbilt will get some fruit for its labor

Lea's talent level is very clearly improved and when it's on it's capable of doing some things that didn't seem plausible as it entered the season.

If Vanderbilt consistently shows up the way it did against Virginia Tech and Missouri it's got a chance to be celebrating at the end of games.