MADISON, WIS. -- Potential is a word that can be thrown around a lot, and at the beginning of the season, that could be applied to Wisconsin's ability to attack multiple ways on offense. It has emerged at various points this season, though not in unison. A run game developed that, outside of two losses to Notre Dame and Michigan, has resembled the aggressive ground attack of years' past.

The wild card was if the passing game would take off in a consistent manner. Sprinkled here and there early this season, glimpses of what could be from the arm of Graham Mertz and his various receiving targets shined then faded within each contest through the past two months.

Wisconsin's past two wins may be signaling a turn of the corner, as the offense delivered in a balanced manner. It totaled 579 yards at Rutgers last weekend, and on Saturday during UW's 35-7 win against Northwestern, the unit finished with 497. The Badgers (7-3 overall, 5-2 Big Ten) racked up 305 yards rushing and 274 yards passing against the Scarlet Knights in Piscataway, then gained 268 on the ground and 229 through the air when facing Pat Fitzgerald's Wildcats (3-7, 1-6).

"I think the stats show that we've been pretty even," Mertz said after the win. "That's where you want to be as an offense, and I think that the guys in each group on the offense are doing a great job of attacking it like that.

"Guys are having fun. Just got to keep building on it."