Barion Brown Sets the SEC Record for Kickoff Return Touchdowns

It was a puzzling few moments at the end of the second quarter of the Kentucky-Florida game for Barion Brown. He turned one bad play into a record-breaking moment.

Trailing by two touchdowns with approximately two minutes left until halftime, Brown was wide open near midfield. Brock Vandagriff‘s pass hit the wide receiver in the hands. It bounced right off of them and into Devin Moore‘s. The Florida defensive back returned it 52 yards to the Kentucky 1-yard line.

Once the Gators punched it in to take a 27-6 lead, there wasn’t much hope to be found around Big Blue Nation. They found some at the most unexpected time.

Barion Brown received the ensuing kickoff and found an open lane. He made a few cuts near the sideline and was off to the races. Brown returned it 99 yards for a touchdown, his first special teams score of the season.

Barion Brown took it 99 yards to the HOUSE 🏠 😼 pic.twitter.com/a8jFZ21sgT

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) October 20, 2024

That 99-yard kickoff touchdown was the fifth of his career, setting a new SEC record for career kickoff return touchdowns. He was previously tied with six others, including San Francisco 49ers’ superstar Deebo Samuel. The NCAA record for kickoff return touchdowns is seven, tied between five players: Tony Pollard (Memphis), CJ Spiller (Clemson), Rashaad Penny (San Diego State), Savon Scarver (Utah State), and Tyron Carrier (Houston)

The Kentucky offense has struggled mightily. They came away with zero points from inside the 5-yard line for the second straight week and have a pair of turnovers. Kentucky desperately needed the special teams score and Barion Brown delivered.

Kentucky will get the ball first to start the second half trailing 27-13.

Want more coverage of the Cats? Join KSR+

KSR has been delivering UK Sports news in the most ridiculous manner for almost two decades. Now, you can get even more coverage of the Cats with KSR+. In the middle of a busy summer of recruiting for the basketball and football programs, now is the perfect time to join our online community. Subscribe now for premium articles, in-depth scouting reports, inside intel, bonus recruiting coverage, and access to KSBoard, our message board featuring thousands of Kentucky fans around the globe. Come join the club.