Indiana University
Kentucky
Hoosiers Defeat Wildcats, 38-14, Improve To 3-0
9/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 17, 2005
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana Hoosiers put on an impressive display on both sides of the ball, en route to a 38-14 defeat over the Kentucky Wildcats here Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. IU racked up a 440 yards of total offense, compared to only 217 for UK.
With the victory over Kentucky, Indiana starts the 2005 season with a perfect 3-0 record. It marks the first season IU started a season 3-0 since the 1994 campaign. Additionally, head coach Terry Hoeppner is also the first head coach since 1905 (James Sheldon) to begin his tenure with three straight wins.
The Hoosiers were led in the air by quarterback Blake Powers who competed 17-of-22 passes for 135 yards and four touchdowns. On the ground it was running back Chris Taylor who rushed for a career-high 176 yards against the Wildcats. Taylor is the first IU rusher to run for over 150 yards since Green-Ellis ran for 155 yards vs. Purdue on Nov. 22, 2003.
Indiana wasted no time jumping out to a 10-point lead. After Joe Kleinsmith began the scoring with a 22-yard field goal on IU's first drive of the contest, the Hoosiers would find paydirt on its very next drive, when Powers connected with tight end Matt O'Neal for a 14-yard touchdown pass with 4:07 remaining in the opening quarter. The 86-yard, 10-play touchdown drive was the longest this season and was the furthest the Hoosiers went 92 yards in nine plays at Northwestern on Oct. 9, 2004.
The score would stay that way until 2:10 prior to the half when Powers found Nick Sexton for a one-yard touchdown reception. The first career catch and touchdown for Sexton put the Hoosiers up 17-0 as the teams went into the lockerroom.
It was the rushing game, which propelled the Indiana in the opening 30 minutes, led by Taylor's 155 yards on the ground. As a team, IU piled up 203 yards on the ground in the half and collected 278 total yards, compared to UK's 27 rushing yards and 67 total yards in the half.
The Wildcats began the second half much the same way as the Hoosiers began the game. UK took its first possession of the third quarter and drove it 56 yards in 3:28 minutes, capped by a 13-yard touchdown run by Rafael Little, cutting the IU lead to 17-7.
Indiana halted any momentum the Wildcats may have had when Lance Bennett took the ensuing kickoff 86 yards, giving the Hoosiers great field position at the Kentucky 13-yard line. That set up Brandon Walker-Roby's touchdown reception from nine-yards out, increasing the IU lead to 17 points, 24-7. It was also Walker-Roby's first career catch and touchdown.
Indiana upped its lead to 31-7 when Powers found wide receiver James Hardy for a 4-yard touchdown, capping off an 11-play, 40-yard drive that chewed up 5:32 seconds of the clock. He is the first wide receiver to catch three touchdown passes in three consecutive contests since Courtney Roby accomplished the feat in Indiana's opening three games in 2004 (at Central Michigan, at Oregon, vs. Michigan State).
Following a Wildcat touchdown, which cut the score to 31-14, the Hoosiers answered on another long scoring drive. This time, the drive went 16 plays and 80 yards in 7:45, capped by a one-yard Yamar Washington touchdown run, resulting in the final score.
The Hoosiers will have a bye week next weekend and will return to action on Oct. 1 at Wisconsin. Television and kickoff time will be announced at a later date.
