1 explosive player from Kentucky's roster that Georgia could have trouble slowing down

The Georgia Bulldogs (2-0) are gearing up for their first SEC road match of the 2024 season against the Kentucky Wildcats (1-1) on Saturday night.

If you look at the recent history of the Bulldogs at Kentucky , the Wildcats have managed to keep it a close game, so head coach Kirby Smart isn't ignorant to the fact that his Dawgs will be put to the test no matter what the Wildcats' record or latest stat sheet suggests.

"Have immense respect for Mark [Stoops]," Smart said. "He and I have grown to be really good friends. He’s one of the best in the business. Done a tremendous job at Kentucky over the time he’s been there. His teams are always very disciplined, very physical. That’s a really tough place to play. When you go there, as you can see from every time we’ve played there, it’s been really tough. So a lot of excitement playing the SEC opponent on the road. I think we know around this place how hard that can be.

"You get an opportunity to play at night on the road and you know the environment’s gonna be really loud. We gotta prepare for a tough, really physical game, which it’s that way every time we play Kentucky.”

The Wildcats are led by quarterback Brock Vandagriff, who spent three years with the Bulldogs before transferring to Kentucky.

Through two weeks so far, Vandagriff has completed 15 of 28 passes for 199 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions.

Smart and the Bulldogs are fairly familiar with Vandagriff's game so they should be one step ahead of the Kentucky quarterback when it comes to preparing for him.

One Kentucky Player Georgia Needs to Watch Out For

However, the one sneaky player from Kentucky's roster that they could have trouble slowing down is wide receiver and elite kick returner Barion Brown.

The explosive junior wideout is known across college football for his electric speed and has returned four kickoffs for touchdowns, including three for 100 yards and one for 99 yards. Brown currently averages 30 yards per attempt on 37 career kickoff returns.

So far this season, he has returned five kickoffs for 74 yards with a long of 23 yards. On offense, Brown has hauled in four receptions for 28 yards and two scores.

Georgia didn't have any trouble stopping Brown at home last fall, holding him to one catch for seven yards and zero yards on kickoffs.

However, one year earlier, Brown had 10 receptions for 145 yards and one touchdown against Georgia in Lexington. He also returned one kickoff for 25 yards.

Keeping Brown contained will be a major key for the Dawgs this Saturday in order to beat Kentucky on the road.

Related: Kirby Smart highlights Anthony Evans' versatility, growth ahead of Week 3 Kentucky matchup