The Hoosiers were 2-0 in the first two games of the Terry Hoeppner era and there was some legitimate good feeling in the football office after the team's expected wins over Central Michigan and Nicholls State.

But there was not a lot of hope for the future because the schedule was about to take a turn. The Hoosiers had rival Kentucky on the schedule before starting Big Ten play with Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa.

Kentucky was supposed to come in to Bloomington and give the Hoosiers a dose of reality. But the Hoosiers rolled to a 38-14 win.

Indiana is 3-0 for the first time since 1994 and Hoeppner is the first Indiana head coach to start with that record since James M. Sheldon did it in 1905.

Quarterback Blake Powers, a Kentucky native, was 17-of-22 for 135 yards with four TDs against the Wildcats. He was joined by the previously dormant Taylor, who had 176 yards on 17 carries.

"We're a work in progress right now, but we've improved from week to week," Hoeppner told the Indianapolis Star. "The running game is getting better. Blake Powers has shown improvement from one week to the next and is turning into a good quarterback.

"It's encouraging for the coaches, because we made adjustments and the guys just keep executing."

A 3-0 start is a positive development for any team and a shocking one for the Hoosiers. But after a week off, they go into the conference schedule and life could get much more difficult for Hoeppner and his staff as they face bigger, faster and more talented bodies on an every-week basis.

GAME BALL GOES TO: RB Chris Taylor -- After struggling badly the first two weeks of the season, Taylor exploded for 176 yards and gave the Hoosiers a solid running game to go along with the accurate passing of QB Blake Powers. If Terry Hoeppner can get this kind of productivity from his ground game throughout the season, the Hoosiers could be the surprise team of the Big Ten.

KEEP AN EYE ON: OLT Isaac Sowells -- The entire offensive line upgraded its performance against Kentucky and Sowells may be the best all-around blocker of the group. The Hoosiers went after the Wildcats with determination and power for 60 minutes.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's a great feeling. It just feels really good to come out here and play well. I feel like (as a team) we played to our full potential and showed that those first two games weren't flukes and we've got what it takes to have a great season." -- QB Blake Powers on the team's win over Kentucky and its 3-0 start.

LOOKING GOOD: The improvement in the running game and the run defense was significant. Chris Taylor had averaged 2.8 yards per carry in the first two games, but managed better than 10 yards per carry against Kentucky. The run defense had struggled against Central Michigan and Nicholls State, but it held Kentucky to 77 yards and showed great improvement.

--QB Blake Powers -- He has played three good games in a row and was at his best against Kentucky, as he completed 17-of-22 passes for 135 yards with four TDs. He was very aggressive on the field and accurate in his passing.

-- NG Russ Richardson -- He set a tone on the first play when he knifed into the backfield and nailed Kentucky WR Curtis Pulley for an eight-yard loss on a reverse. That lit a fuse for his defensive teammates.

STILL NEEDS SOME WORK: The Hoosiers did not turn the ball over, but they still made their share of mistakes. Indiana was flagged nine times for 80 yards and Terry Hoeppner will work on that lack of discipline in practice this week.

--TE Chris Rudanovic -- The Hoosiers stepped up against Kentucky, but Rudanovic struggled badly with just one catch for eight yards. That won't get it done in the Big Ten part of the schedule.

-- DE Kenny Kendal did little to distinguish himself vs. the Wildcats. He had two solo tackles and did not put much pressure on Kentucky QB Andre Woodson.

ROSTER REPORT: Powers has recovered from the sore arm that dogged him vs. Nicholls State.