The offense and defense both are clicking as the 12th-ranked Michigan football team hits the road for the first time this year.

Only, they're doing it in very disparate fashions heading into today's 7 p.m. game at Northwestern (BTN).

The biggest resurgence for the Wolverines (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) has been on defense, where they've gone from 107th in points allowed last year to second this year. They've done it by getting simpler.

Michigan coach Brady Hoke said the Wolverines began scaling back their defensive packages last week so players could master the ones that have been introduced, as well as continue to focus on fundamentals.

The Wolverines proceeded to beat Minnesota 58-0 last week.

"We can know all the football we need to know, but if they don’t know it, it doesn’t do you any good," Hoke said this week. "Better to have 11 guys in position than maybe that great defense that you think you may have called and have guys confused.”

Defensive coordinator Greg Mattison said "getting simpler" isn't an accurate characterization of what he's trying to do. Still, he said he has begun to pare down the nuances of his packages.

"I think now, I really believe when a defense is called, I think everybody that gets that defense goes, ‘OK, I know exactly what I’m supposed to do on this,’" Mattison said. "Whereas when everybody’s new and the bullets are flying out there on that field, then if you’re not completely sure, there could be a negative."

The emergence of the defensive line has helped Michigan to taper its blitz packages, which were necessary early in the season to apply pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The front four's ability to break containment lately means Mattison hasn't needed to call them.

He hopes that continues against Northwestern, which features dual-threat quarterback Dan Persa. The senior set a Big Ten record last year for completion percentage, and he threw four touchdowns last week in his season debut.

Michigan hopes to do more with less against Persa, which leaves more in the bag for future weeks.

Meantime, the offense has begun emptying its bag.

Offensive coordinator Al Borges debuted a speed option two weeks ago that caught San Diego State offguard. Last week, it was a three-back, diamond-shaped formation that positioned starting quarterback Denard Robinson in the backfield and backup quarterback Devin Gardner under center.

It also got top tailbacks Fitz Toussaint and Vincent Smith on the field, meaning four of Michigan's top playmakers were in one backfield. Borges, a self-proclaimed "football junkie" who never stops scribbling new plays, drew up the formation based on an offense he saw in the 1980s from the San Diego Chargers.

Borges said he has an achive of plays dating back 25 years. More creativity is expected from him as the Big Ten season kicks into full swing, even this week against Northwestern.

"We’ll empty the drawer more as we go," Borges said. "We’re going to have our deals. They’re not all going to work — some are going to be good, some of them aren’t — but that was just one of them.”

Michigan's game plan against Northwestern likely will be predicated on the run. That's what the Wolverines do best — the triumverate of Robinson, Fitzgerald and Smith leads the nation's seventh-ranked rushing attack — and the Wildcats have struggled this year slowing teams on the ground.

Borges is expected to attack that weakness, especially with his team playing on the road for the first time this season.

While the offense gets more complex schematically, the defense is becoming simpler. It's working for both. The offense is 24th in points scored per game (37.2), and the defense is second in giving them up (10.2).

The Wolverines will look to keep both going as they hit the road to face Northwestern, then rival Michigan State next week. Surely, they'll have some tricks up their sleeve for that one.

Kyle Meinke covers Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2588, by email at kylemeinke@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @kmeinke.