MILWAUKEE (AP) — Wisconsin’s 5-0 start seems in the distant past. It even caught coach Bret Bielema by surprise when he was out recruiting during the Badgers’ off week.

“Every school I went into and all the places that I was, people would come up to me and in an airport or whatever and (say), ’Coach, congratulations on the start of the year,”’ Bielema said. “It takes you back because you’re so disappointed in the back-to-back losses that you forget that you’re a 5-2 team.”

While Wisconsin (2-2 in Big Ten) is still reeling, Purdue (3-5, 2-2) is surging after snapping a five-game losing streak with wins over then-No. 7 Ohio State and Illinois.

There’s even outside talk of a bowl game for the Boilermakers if they can make a strong statement in Madison.

“I think we are excited about getting ready to play and they look forward to the ability to go out there and compete at a great place against a great football team, and we like our chances to do well and match up and win,” Purdue coach Danny Hope said. “I think we are gaining some momentum as a football team.”

To keep any bowl chatter alive, Purdue needs to snap a 10-game road losing streak. The Boilermakers last won on the road over two years ago, Sept. 22, 2007, at Minnesota.

Hope said the formula for winning on the road is just like winning at home.

“Take care of the football and playing hard for 60 minutes, it’s really a pretty simple thing,” Hope said. “We are playing well on offense right now, we are playing well on defense right now, and doing a lot of good things on special teams right now. And if we take care of the football, we’ll compete and compete very well.”

Wisconsin will look to return to basics against Purdue with a big dose of running back John Clay, who is leading the Big Ten by averaging 102.3 yards per game. Clay has been hobbled by a sprained ankle, but the week off gave all the Badgers a chance to heal before the stretch run.

Still, it’s been nearly a month since Wisconsin won a game.

“I feel like we’ve kind of gone through a slump here, but we can easily pick this back up and start the rest of the season off right,” Wisconsin tackle Gabe Carimi said. “If we get ahead, I feel like we can pick up a good wind and just keep on going with it.”

Carimi, who is working his way back from a left shoulder sprain, said the matchups with Purdue defensive tackle Ryan Kerrigan will be a challenge for the line.

“I like getting matched up against better players, I feel like I play better,” Carimi said.

Kerrigan leads the Big Ten in sacks with 7.5 and he’ll need to get into the backfield to slow Clay. Purdue’s spread offense could have just as much trouble containing Wisconsin defensive end O’Brien Schofield, who leads the nation in tackles for loss with 16.5 and is second in the conference in sacks, one behind Kerrigan.

“They are both great players, if you compare them that way, and they both play the same position,” Hope said. “(Schofield) is a great rusher of the edge and a real playmaker.”

Because of the Big Ten schedule rotation, Wisconsin and Purdue haven’t met since 2006 and the Boilermakers haven’t won in the series since 2003.

Wisconsin lost four in a row in the middle of last season that damaged any chance of a big bowl appearance.

Now, the Badgers are halfway through a skid just as long, even though their losses are to Ohio State and Iowa, who are a combined 14-2.

“You know what, we’re in 2009. I’ve talked enough about 2008,” Bielema said. “2008 was disappointing. This is 2009. I’m excited about this ball club — just like I was in week one.”