[media-credit name=’GREGORY DIXON/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — With a grand total of only 32,142 fans in attendance, no one was mistaking Memorial Stadium for The Big House, where the Badgers crumbled in the second half in front of 111,000 a week earlier.

The fans weren't so much hostile as they were sleep walking and the stadium wasn't so much The Rock as it was a stone, at least in terms of emotion. Regardless though, the way the Badgers dispatched an already silent crowd and took control on the road was nothing short of textbook.

In fact it got pretty ugly for the Indiana faithful. So ugly even the cheerleaders left early, no joke. So ugly, that when IU cheerleaders threw shirts into the student section, they were thrown back. So ugly that the best cheers of the day from the IU students were chants of "we still scored" and "dou-ble di-gits."

No one was confusing the hapless Hoosiers for the Wolverines either, but regardless of the mitigating circumstances, the fact that Wisconsin had the Indiana faithful streaming for the exits by halftime was by any measure, impressive.

"I think our team needed a game like this," said Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema. "I wanted them to go out and have fun today. I wanted them to set a tone; that we controlled this game."

For an offense that had been hearing since the season started that it was the weak link on the team and devoid of playmakers, the game did have a quality of redemption to it.

"We knew we had it in us, we knew it was just a matter of when it would come out," tight end Andy Crooks said. "We were definitely firing on all cylinders."

On the heels of the disappointing loss in Ann Arbor where the Badger attack bottomed out, the lowly Hoosiers, who are tail spinning only five games into the season, were just what the doctor ordered.

In UW's 27-13 loss at Michigan, the offense spat and sputtered to eight consecutive three and outs. Against Indiana, the unit scored on eight straight possessions, building a 52-0 lead.

The Badgers totaled a mere 248 total yards of offense against the Wolverines. On Saturday, UW had 240 yards before the 20 minute mark, finishing just shy of 540 on the game.

Whereas UW didn't even complete a pass in the third quarter at Michigan, quarterback John Stocco didn't throw his second incomplete pass until three seconds before halftime.

The dominant performance could signal a turnaround for an offense that was so desperate for some … well, offense.

"This game was our breakout point last year," receiver Luke Swan said. "I think it will have a similar effect this year."

No one needed the gaudy game more than Stocco, who as the fifth-year senior leader of the offense had struggled to get on the same page with his green corps of receivers.

"He was unbelievable today, man, he was target every time," said junior wideout Paul Hubbard.

Stocco's 15-for-17, 304 yard performance, punctuated with three touchdowns was obviously needed by the usually cool Stocco, who threw a Tiger Woods-esque fist pump after each score.

"I think we took a big jump today," Stocco said. "We had a lot of success throwing the ball, and that isn't just the quarterback, that's not just the receivers, that's everybody, it was just a complete job today I thought."

While the Badgers' scoring frenzy was certainly much-needed and an excellent step in the right direction, the fact remains it was against Indiana, who will have to regroup quickly to prepare for its best opportunity to pick up a conference win this season, when the Hoosiers travel to Illinois.

Still, the Badgers did what they needed to do; they responded to their first loss of the season by playing their most complete contest thus far.

"We're not a great football team," Bielema said after the game. And while he excited with the victory, Bielema was quick to point out that there was still much to improve on. "We're a good football team that has a great attitude."