It was the first time this season South Carolina registered back-to-back wins.

With an asterisk for a slew of defensive injuries, this win over Ole Miss may have been the Gamecocks’ most complete effort this season. They got big plays from star receivers and returners Deebo Samuel and Bryan Edwards and from multiple running backs, and when they most needed it, they got a great defensive effort on the last four drives of the game.

The win lifted South Carolina to 5-4 and 4-3 in the SEC, with a reasonable shot at nine wins now that the Dec. 1 game is finalized with Akron as the opponent.

Despite injuries to at least five players, oft-criticized quarterback Jake Bentley led the comeback after South Carolina trailed by 10 points with 14 minutes remaining.

“We recruit guys who are tough, who have mental toughness, we have guys who fight,” coach Will Muschamp said. “When you have enough of those guys collectively, it lifts our football team.”

Added Bentley, “In that moment, nobody panicked, nobody got rattled.”

They’ve certainly been tested this season. Even in recent weeks, close games have been a way of life for South Carolina. In its last four games, South Carolina has won by two points over Missouri, lost by three to Texas A&M, won by three over Tennessee and won by four over Ole Miss.

“There ain’t no quit in this football team,” an emotional Muschamp said in the locker room after the win. “You just keep fighting, you play off each other, because that’s what you’ve got to do in life. Everybody understand that? Life’s difficult, you got to keep fighting. There ain’t no quit in this team.”

Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Two areas that South Carolina has struggled with this season, slow starts and a lack of consistent production from running backs, may have been the difference in the game.

Not only did they get a 100-yard rusher for just the fourth time this season, the running backs combined for 127 receiving yards, mostly from Ty’Son Williams. What’s more, they had 26 points in the previous four games’ first halves and had 17 in the first quarter this time.

Another thing that may have been overlooked — particularly early in the game — was that South Carolina forced three field goals once Ole Miss advanced inside the 20-yard line. Also, credit the coaching staff with switching to man coverage down the stretch as the Rebels were forced to punt on three straight possessions even before their final drive ended with a turnover on downs.

A closer look at the box score reveals that South Carolina gave up just 17 yards in the fourth quarter with 3 sacks on four drives, as they held Jordan Ta’amu to just 3-for-6 passing for 10 yards.

The injury list was so long, Muschamp couldn’t even address it after the game. But at times, there were four freshmen in the secondary.

“I’ve got to really give our football team credit,” Muschamp said. “The resiliency and the fight they have. … It says a lot about the coaching staff, it says a lot about the program. When we get in a tight situation, we win the game.”

This win, with remaining games that include at Florida, home against Chattanooga, at Clemson and home against Akron, sets up a chance for the best two-season stretch for the program since 2013-14, when the Gamecocks won 18. Throw in a bowl win and there’s a reasonable chance of matching last year’s nine-win campaign.

“We’ve had three straight games that were fourth-quarter games, and (we) had the chance to win all three of them,” Muschamp said. “We’re 2-1 in those games; if you want to have a special season, you win all three of them.”

But if they keep playing like they did against Ole Miss, this season will be plenty special in its own right.