In September, the final stretch of the season for the South Carolina Gamecocks appeared especially daunting. Facing the defending SEC East champion, a division rival on the road then the defending national champion — which just happens to be South Carolina’s archrival — did not promise a pretty picture.

Florida, Georgia and Clemson are never easy, but this year it appeared that it would be tougher than usual for the Gamecocks to win two out of the three. Throw in a resurgent Vanderbilt team that started 3-0, and “growing pains” seemed to be the operative phrase for Will Muschamp’s second season as head coach in Columbia.

Flip the calendar and Vanderbilt, this week’s opponent, has lost four straight largely by lopsided scores. Florida, which has dropped two straight at home and visits Columbia on Nov. 11, is stuck in an offensive malaise. Throw in Nov. 18 opponent Wofford and the Gamecocks have a better than 50 percent chance of winning at least three games, not to mention a possible upset of Georgia or Clemson.

ESPN’s Football Power Index listed South Carolina’s chances of winning these games at high percentages, including Vanderbilt at 83.5 percent, Florida at 58 percent and Wofford at 96.4 percent. The Gamecocks are rated as having less than a 20 percent chance at beating Georgia or Clemson. If those projections are accurate South Carolina, currently 5-2, would go at least 8-4, which would be its best mark since 2013 when it went 11-2.

The Gamecocks have proven doubters wrong all season, winning three games as a Vegas underdog: N.C. State, Arkansas and Tennessee. And two of those were away from home.

“We inherited a bunch of good young men when we came to South Carolina and our older players have really bridged with our younger players that we brought into the program and really have come together for that common purpose to be successful,” Muschamp said Monday on The Paul Finebaum Show. “We have got an outstanding staff. Our guys do a really good job of coaching and developing our players. Everything here is on pace to be very successful.”

Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

One way South Carolina could continue its upward trajectory is to lean on its red zone defense, which is tied for second in the SEC with Georgia, just behind Alabama. Muschamp said the team’s goal is about 60 percent; this season South Carolina is at 76 percent after it has allowed 20 scores (12 touchdowns and eight field goals) on 26 attempts.

South Carolina has gone to bowl in 10 of the past 12 years. The Gamecocks would clinch an 11th appearance in 13 years on Saturday if they defeat Vanderbilt.

Another positive, Muschamp said, is that several injured players are expected to return, including offensive linemen Zack Bailey, Cory Helms and Malik Young.

But despite the apparent rosy outlook, Muschamp declined to look at the stretch run as a group of games, or even mention that a win against Vanderbilt would make the Gamecocks bowl eligible.

“Every week is a season,” he said on the Sunday teleconference with reporters, according to Sports Talk SC. “…You build your confidence when you have belief in what you’re doing, and I think that’s the thing that I see — these players have a lot of belief in what we do, and how we do things, how we practice, schematically, the things we install. That’s when it gets fun for you as a coach. There’s no questioning of why are we doing this; they take it and they run with it.”

The best season in four years is clearly possible for the Gamecocks and, as Muschamp said, is the latest glimpse into the development of the program, especially coming off of the bye week. The next test will come at 4 p.m. on Saturday against Vanderbilt.