Facebook fans are the most passionate. At least, that’s what Alabama’s Trezmen Marshall had learned after transferring from Georgia to join the Crimson Tide in January.

After leaving UGA, the linebacker felt lost and when he picked the Bulldogs rival, fans let him hear it. So, before he’d face his former team in last weekend’s SEC Championship, Marshall made sure to find current and former teammate Jermaine Burton, who had joined UA a year ago, and express his clear goal.

“We said we can’t lose to Georgia. We can’t lose or we have to deal with everything,” Marshall said after the 27-24 win in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. “Y’all just don’t understand. Them Georgia fans is crazy, now, I’m telling y’all. We just couldn’t take that ‘L.’”

“Man, I didn’t want to lose. I didn’t care what happened in the game. I just didn’t wanna lose. … I kinda left (Georgia) not knowing what I was gonna be and what I was gonna do. (Alabama and Nick Saban) broke me down and built me back up.”

At halftime with a 10-point lead, Marshall said he and Burton warned teammates to expect a punch back from the two-time defending champs in the form of everything: star tight end Brock Bowers (team-high five catches) was “gonna get his,” but so did Burton with a touchdown catch; UGA would break out deep shots and trick plays after struggling for yards, which it did but Marshall fell on a reverse handoff gone wrong.

Marshall was blunt: “We gotta choke these boys out to make them quit.”

Marshall’s ability to fill in as a rotation linebacker (55 total tackles), along with Burton’s continued development as Jalen Milroe’s No. 1 target (receiver-leading 777 yards and eight touchdowns), has provided veteran balance to the roster. And in Burton’s case, he and the injured Ja’Corey Brooks will be the only UA wideouts with College Football Playoff experience. A factor that’ll be interesting to compare against No. 4 Alabama’s opponent, top-ranked Michigan.

In the 2021 Orange Bowl, a CFP semifinal, Burton caught a 57-yard touchdown in the Bulldogs’ blowout win. He had two passes for 28 yards in the championship against his future school. Marshall was injured for that run but was a reserve in Georgia’s 2022 run over Ohio State and TCU.

Burton, whose explosive play ability has been matched by a reflex to chirp at defensive backs afterward, kept a stern look on his face for most of the game in Atlanta. When Milroe found him on a crossing route in the endzone for a touchdown, he nearly sprinted to the hash mark, 5 yards away from his sideline, before turning around and starting at the Bulldogs bench. Eventually, an excited Kool-Aid McKinstry nudged him away.

“All week we talked bout channeling our emotions, our passion for the game to be able to execute our job,” linebacker Deontae Lawson said postgame.

In a side room across from the UA locker room, Lawson spoke on top of a mini-stage with a placard identifying his name and number behind him. On the other side of the room, Burton had one of his own. Despite him not being there yet, and other players talking to other reporters, the overwhelming majority of notepads and cameras were aimed where Burton would be.

Yet, a few minutes later, an Alabama communications staffer switched Burton’s nameplate out for one labeling breakout freshman Isaiah Bond. Burton’s postgame remarks would be served through social media.

He tweeted shortly after the game ended: ended“Nahhh I sat back and took that hate to the face …. Now it’s my turn they mad. … #Roll Tide”

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].