Georgia assistant Dell McGee gives key to the national championship game

During his two seasons at Georgia, running backs coach Dell McGee has led one of the most productive running back groups in the nation. McGee’s backs have been a big part in Georgia reaching the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, and if the Bulldogs win, it will likely come thanks to the team’s run game.

One of the key matchups in Georgia’s showdown with Alabama in Mercedes-Benz Stadium is the Bulldogs’ ground game facing off with Alabama’s defense. Georgia has been one of the top rushing teams in the nation with 267 yards per game; the Alabama defense, meanwhile, leads the nation by allowing just under 92 yards on the ground per contest.

In McGee’s estimation, winning or losing Monday’s title game starts up front.

“It’s going to be a tough task. We definitely have to try to win the line of scrimmage,” McGee said. “I think that’s going to be the key to this football game for both sides. Whoever gets that done will be victorious, in my opinion.”

Winning the battle in the trenches is no new challenge for the Bulldogs. In Georgia’s lone loss this season -- a 40-17 defeat at the hands of the Auburn Tigers -- the Bulldogs were completely manhandled offensively and defensively at the line of scrimmage, which allowed Auburn to take control of the game.

The good news for Georgia is its offensive and defensive lines have stepped up in the time since the Nov. 11 loss. And if the Bulldogs’ offensive lineman can open up holes, the Bulldogs have a number of running backs who can make plays.

The Bulldogs have had virtually no drop-off from top backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel on down the depth chart, which has been a great asset for McGee and the rest of the coaching staff.

“We have a very, very talented running back room. As a staff, we just tried to make it work and use guys’ skill sets to take advantage of matchups and get the best players the ball,” McGee said. “The running backs were asked to block and asked to line up at receiver to do certain things. They’ve done what we’ve asked them to do. Those guys being unselfish have contributed to the success we’ve had running the football.”

For McGee’s players, the final days before the championship game have been devoted to rest and recovery after a long West Coast trip. McGee said film study has also been a key component, emphasizing how important familiarity with Alabama can be come game time.

“You try not to make the game bigger than what it is,” McGee said. “We have to keep our focus on what’s needed to be successful on Monday night. There are a lot of distractions, but we’re trying keep our focus on what’s important.”

This story was originally published January 7, 2018 at 4:46 PM with the headline "Georgia assistant Dell McGee gives key to the national championship game."