South Carolina came into Saturday’s game averaging 184 rushing yards per game. But that team was nowhere to be found as the Gamecocks mustered just 29 rushing yards by late into the fourth quarter.

That proved to be not enough despite late heroics including three fourth down conversions as South Carolina fell 20-15 against Appalachian State. South Carolina had a final chance with six seconds remaining, but QB Ryan Hilinski overthrew a wide open WR Bryan Edwards in the end zone.

Any chance of a bowl berth now rests on the Gamecocks beating both Texas A&M and Clemson the rest of the season. This was South Carolina’s third loss in four games since the upset at Georgia.

The second half has been an issue for several weeks, as this team has given up multiple leads, but this time the Gamecocks trailed 13-6 at halftime, and only registered a field goal more than 20 minutes into the second half.

Much of the game centered on a lack of running game by the Gamecocks as they couldn’t get the ball to star  Edwards, who was hurt in the first half with an apparent leg injury, but who had nine catches by late in the fourth quarter. There was no doubt he was the MVP of the team when he caught a pass for a fourth down and 15-yard conversion, then caught a touchdown on the very next play to pull the Gamecocks within five points with 2:58 remaining. That gave South Carolina momentum it hadn’t experienced all game.

After South Carolina held App State and got the ball back, Rico Dowdle lunged to convert a fourth down on a 20-yard pass play at the App State 35-yard line. Dowdle converted another fourth down with nine seconds remaining inside the 10-yard line.

Until late in the fourth quarter, Hilinski struggled with batted balls and receivers who couldn’t get open along with that sluggish running game. Hilinski and the offense were 4-for-16 on third down conversions with just a few minutes remaining.

The Gamecocks, for much of the game, couldn’t convert things like turnovers and field position into touchdowns, which was evident on a sequence midway through the third quarter. South Carolina got an interception from LB Ernest Jones and got the ball at the App State 35-yard line. But after four plays, they could just muster three yards, and settled for a 50-yard field goal from Parker White.

On the ensuing drive for the Mountaineers, they went seven plays and scored on a Zac Thomas run to cap a 39-yard drive to go up 20-9 with 7:10 left in the third quarter.

The South Carolina defense largely kept it in the game as App State was just 2-for-12 on third down when it tried to run out the clock with under three minutes remaining. Thomas was just 9-for-15 passing for 105 yards with 2:45 remaining. The Mountaineers had just 11 first downs as South Carolina mounted its comeback late.

The Gamecocks had trouble moving the ball early, even before Edwards left in the first half with an apparent leg injury, and was on a stationary bike trying to work out the injury. Running backs Rico Dowdle, Deshaun Fenwick and Kevin Harris combined for 13 carries for eight yards in the first half.

Their first drive stalled for a field goal after 15 plays, then they settled for another field goal and punted twice before Hilinski gave up an interception which resulted in a touchdown with 1:51 left in the first half. It was mostly because of a sluggish running game that saw the Gamecocks muster just 31 yards on 17 carries.