SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS

In a year of tough games, the Gamecocks don't get a reprieve, even with a Group of Five team coming to Williams-Brice Saturday.

The Gamecocks (4-5, 3-4 SEC) host the Giant Killer of college football in Appalachian State (7 p.m./ESPN2), and need a win to keep realistic chances of bowl hopes alive.

Before things get kicked off Saturday, here are five things to watch for on Senior Night.

Handling tempo

Appalachian State doesn't like to wait. The Mountaineers are one of the faster teams the Gamecocks will play this season, averaging just under 72 plays per game, 80 over their last three.

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They do a lot of pre-snap motion to fool a defense and use the tempo to get players out of position. How the Gamecocks will handle the motion and tempo will determine how well the defense plays Saturday night.

Will the depth at tight end and receiver be there?

So it looks like Shi Smith (hamstring) is questionable, Nick Muse (ACL) is out along with Josh Vann (hand). That means three of the team's five leading receivers are either out or doubtful against the Mountaineers.

That puts a lot of pressure on Bryan Edwards to carry the passing game. South Carolina will need guys like Chavis Dawkins and freshmen Xavier Legette and Trae Kenion to step up if they want to be efficient throwing the ball.

What will the running back rotation look like?

Honestly, the Gamecocks can't catch a break at this spot this year. Just as Rico Dowdle is expected to return, Tavien Feaster is out with a groin injury. Adding Dowdle back in the rotation would settle things down, but now the Gamecocks are still searching for who will be the second and third backs on the field.

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Mon Denson's been that guy, but he struggled some and is dealing with a bang up after last week. Deshaun Fenwick and Kevin Harris have been productive in their limited roles this year.

It'll be interesting to see which guys the Gamecocks want to run out there after Dowdle, and if Dowdle is back to 100 percent and the form he was in before the injury.

Generating a pass rush

It's no secret that when the Gamecocks can pressure the quarterback, they usually win. This week is a little tougher with a mobile quarterback taking snaps for App State. Zac Thomas has thrown for 1,566 yards, and rushed for another 303 with 18 combined touchdowns.

Getting back there and constricting lanes will be imperative to try and squash an App State offense averaging almost 40 points per game this season.

Can the offense move the ball consistently?

This has been the biggest question for the Gamecocks this year. They still haven't scored over 30 points against a non-FCS opponent and are averaging 21.7 points in eight games against opponents not named Charleston Southern this season.

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They've struggled to put up consistent performances against good competition, but those inconsistencies can't happen against a good Group of Five team like App State.

They'll need to put up points and do it early to get the Mountaineers off their game a little bit and prevent this from turning into a shootout.