If there is a certainty this Saturday when Washington travels to face Michigan State is that neither offense will end its first offensive possession with points on the scoreboard.

The two Big Ten programs have combined for just three scoring drives over the first nine games of the 2026 season. First-year Spartans coach Pat Fitzgerald hasn't seen his offense produce points on its opening series since fifth-year running back Cam Edwards punched in a 2-yard touchdown run in MSU's 30-20 season opener at home against Toledo.

Until Saturday's 28-25 loss to Penn State at Husky Stadium, when fourth-year kicker Tyler Robles converted a 29-yard field goal to cap off the Huskies' first drive against the Nittany Lions, third-year UW coach Jedd Fisch hadn't seen his offense score on its first series since Week 3 against Eastern Washington, when third-year quarterback Demond Williams Jr. hit second-year wide receiver Chris Lawson for a 15-yard touchdown.

Not only has UW struggled to score at the start of games, but they've also ended the first series with negative yardage more often than they've scored this season.

Against Washington State, Utah State, and Iowa, the offense combined for -22 yards, despite the first two games still adding a victory in the win column for Fisch. Two other games in conference play against Minnesota and USC saw the offense gain positive yards but still end with a three-and-out, a trend that the Huskies' coach has yet to find an answer for with another tough road test Saturday in East Lansing.

Despite not scoring early this season, UW has lost three of four games by four points or less, leading Fitzgerald to note that, regardless of how the team fares in the first quarter, the Huskies won't go back down easily, as they proved in Saturday's loss to the Nittany Lions this past weekend with 19 unanswered points in the second half.

"The way they came back on Saturday was really impressive," Fitzgerald said during his Monday press conference. "They're down 28-6 and come storming back and score 19 straight points, and really just ran out of time. I think if there were two more minutes in that game, they probably win it."

With both offenses ranked near the bottom of the conference in average rushing yards per game and UW just a few spots ahead in total yards entering Saturday, the slight four-point edge the Huskies hold, per BetMGM, doesn't offer any guarantee that either team can confidently go into the game feeling good about the possible outcome.

That puts even more of an onus to maximize every drive Fisch has, including getting off to a fast start with points in some form or fashion, to be in the best position going into the fourth quarter to come away with the sixth win of the season for UW.