Electric Barion Brown has a magical touch

Barion Brown got into the open field three times but could not score Saturday. Still, he averaged 49 yards per touch in the loss at Ole Miss. (Vicky Graff Photo)

Saturday was a national coming out party for Kentucky freshman Barion Brown.

Certainly his 100-yard kickoff return earlier this season got a lot of attention but he was a “big play” machine in UK’s 22-19 loss at Mississippi Saturday.

Brown touched the ball five times — three on kickoffs, two on screen passes — and still accounted for 245 yards. That’s 89 yards per catch and makes you wonder why he didn’t get more touches.

“He is just an electric guy with the ball in his hands,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said. “I thought he would score on the one pass play and kickoff return. He is dangerous with the ball in his hands.”

He had an 85-yard kickoff return after UK fell behind 14-0 that led to a Chris Rodriguez touchdown. He looked like he was going to take a second-half kickoff to the end zone — “It was actually very shocking that they even kicked to me,” Brown said — before teammate Jordan Lovett got his feet tangled with Brown as he was trying to get in front of him to block as Brown cut across the field.

He also got caught on a 51-yard screen pass late in the game when it looked like he was clear and ready to score Kentucky’s go-ahead touchdown.

Brown was unhappy he didn’t score.

“Being a little hard on myself that I let myself down. That’s why we go to practice every day and work hard every day so I’m going to be looking forward to a great practice on Monday,”  he said after the loss.

“We always work hard on the plays that we do and that we put in for me and also for my other fellows. Knowing that we have plays for everybody is cool.”

Stoops said big plays have been there for UK — and Brown — all season and that Brown missed the chance to make one long catch against Ole Miss.

“He missed the one there late on the last drive as well, just out of reach. He will continue to work on that. I expect him to make that play. I’ve seen him make it in practice,” Stoops said.

“But even on the one (pass play) that got us down there, I feel like he could have got in (to score). He was a little banged up too. He will be fine, but it was a rough game. A bunch of our guys got beat up, we are just sore, banged up and bruised.”

“But, I thought he was gonna break away the kickoff return and that pass play. He’s a very talented young man, and he also plays extremely tough.”

Losing is not something he enjoys or knows a lot about.

“New guys like me did not lose a lot (in high school). It’s very tough on me to swallow a L (loss),” Brown said.

He understands not every true freshman gets a chance to make the impact he has or help determine who wins or loses.

“That’s something that I wanted and was  ready for,” Brown said. “I never shy away from competition. It just feels good that they (coaches) believe I can make a play. I just want to help this team be the best it can be. I want a national championship.”