2008 National Leaders First Downs - All Games through 01/08/2009
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tulsa | 14 | 188 | 183 | 20 | 391 | 27.9 |
| 2 | Oklahoma | 14 | 153 | 211 | 22 | 386 | 27.6 |
| 3 | Texas Tech | 13 | 105 | 236 | 17 | 358 | 27.5 |
| 4 | Houston | 13 | 107 | 225 | 23 | 355 | 27.3 |
| 5 | Texas | 13 | 132 | 189 | 31 | 352 | 27.1 |
| 6 | Rice | 13 | 116 | 198 | 23 | 337 | 25.9 |
| 7 | Missouri | 14 | 100 | 235 | 23 | 358 | 25.6 |
| 8 | Nevada | 13 | 174 | 134 | 21 | 329 | 25.3 |
| 9 | Oklahoma State | 13 | 174 | 133 | 17 | 324 | 24.9 |
| 10 | BYU | 13 | 95 | 198 | 21 | 314 | 24.2 |
| 11 | Memphis | 13 | 149 | 131 | 29 | 309 | 23.8 |
| 12 | TCU | 13 | 155 | 135 | 17 | 307 | 23.6 |
| 13 | USC | 13 | 133 | 152 | 20 | 305 | 23.5 |
| 14 | Ball State | 14 | 136 | 167 | 22 | 325 | 23.2 |
| 14 | Oregon | 13 | 160 | 113 | 28 | 301 | 23.2 |
| 14 | Central Michigan | 13 | 111 | 176 | 14 | 301 | 23.2 |
| 14 | Kansas | 13 | 111 | 172 | 18 | 301 | 23.2 |
| 18 | Penn State | 13 | 136 | 142 | 22 | 300 | 23.1 |
| 19 | Eastern Michigan | 12 | 91 | 162 | 23 | 276 | 23.0 |
| 20 | Nebraska | 13 | 113 | 171 | 11 | 295 | 22.7 |
| 21 | Troy | 13 | 123 | 149 | 19 | 291 | 22.4 |
| 21 | South Florida | 13 | 120 | 155 | 16 | 291 | 22.4 |
| 23 | Southern Mississippi | 13 | 133 | 137 | 17 | 287 | 22.1 |
| 23 | Arizona | 13 | 113 | 156 | 18 | 287 | 22.1 |
| 25 | Florida | 14 | 154 | 129 | 23 | 306 | 21.9 |
| 25 | Boise State | 13 | 101 | 163 | 21 | 285 | 21.9 |
| 27 | Utah | 13 | 111 | 154 | 16 | 281 | 21.6 |
| 28 | Oregon State | 13 | 120 | 142 | 18 | 280 | 21.5 |
| 28 | Western Michigan | 13 | 82 | 169 | 28 | 279 | 21.5 |
| 30 | Illinois | 12 | 105 | 142 | 10 | 257 | 21.4 |
| 31 | Akron | 12 | 106 | 135 | 14 | 256 | 21.3 |
| 31 | Kent State | 12 | 148 | 87 | 20 | 255 | 21.3 |
| 33 | Purdue | 12 | 93 | 138 | 23 | 254 | 21.2 |
| 34 | Georgia | 13 | 95 | 163 | 15 | 273 | 21.0 |
| 35 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 12 | 135 | 100 | 15 | 250 | 20.8 |
| 35 | Kansas State | 12 | 93 | 138 | 19 | 250 | 20.8 |
| 37 | Iowa | 13 | 146 | 108 | 15 | 269 | 20.7 |
| 37 | Fresno State | 13 | 120 | 127 | 22 | 269 | 20.7 |
| 39 | North Texas | 12 | 97 | 130 | 20 | 247 | 20.6 |
| 39 | UTEP | 12 | 78 | 147 | 22 | 247 | 20.6 |
| 41 | Florida Atlantic | 13 | 96 | 154 | 16 | 266 | 20.5 |
| 42 | Florida State | 13 | 131 | 113 | 21 | 265 | 20.4 |
| 43 | Rutgers | 13 | 85 | 158 | 21 | 264 | 20.3 |
| 43 | Louisville | 12 | 101 | 114 | 28 | 243 | 20.3 |
| 45 | Northwestern | 13 | 95 | 141 | 27 | 263 | 20.2 |
| 45 | Colorado State | 13 | 107 | 141 | 14 | 262 | 20.2 |
| 47 | Iowa State | 12 | 87 | 136 | 18 | 241 | 20.1 |
| 48 | Bowling Green | 12 | 96 | 130 | 14 | 240 | 20.0 |
| 49 | Buffalo | 14 | 102 | 155 | 22 | 279 | 19.9 |
| 50 | Arkansas State | 12 | 125 | 95 | 18 | 238 | 19.8 |
| 50 | Baylor | 12 | 124 | 94 | 19 | 237 | 19.8 |
| 52 | Mississippi | 13 | 122 | 124 | 10 | 256 | 19.7 |
| 53 | Wisconsin | 13 | 132 | 114 | 9 | 255 | 19.6 |
| 54 | LSU | 13 | 122 | 114 | 18 | 254 | 19.5 |
| 55 | Cincinnati | 14 | 99 | 155 | 18 | 272 | 19.4 |
| 56 | Arkansas | 12 | 83 | 134 | 15 | 232 | 19.3 |
| 57 | Notre Dame | 13 | 91 | 133 | 26 | 250 | 19.2 |
| 58 | Connecticut | 13 | 144 | 82 | 22 | 248 | 19.1 |
| 58 | Miami (Ohio) | 12 | 76 | 132 | 21 | 229 | 19.1 |
| 60 | Alabama | 14 | 133 | 112 | 18 | 263 | 18.8 |
| 60 | Michigan State | 13 | 92 | 126 | 26 | 244 | 18.8 |
| 60 | Colorado | 12 | 100 | 112 | 14 | 226 | 18.8 |
| 60 | UNLV | 12 | 76 | 127 | 23 | 226 | 18.8 |
| 60 | Stanford | 12 | 118 | 86 | 21 | 225 | 18.8 |
| 65 | Hawai'i | 14 | 85 | 155 | 22 | 262 | 18.7 |
| 65 | Middle Tennessee | 12 | 84 | 127 | 13 | 224 | 18.7 |
| 67 | Texas A&M | 12 | 73 | 131 | 19 | 223 | 18.6 |
| 68 | Air Force | 13 | 192 | 36 | 13 | 241 | 18.5 |
| 68 | South Carolina | 13 | 91 | 129 | 21 | 241 | 18.5 |
| 68 | UAB | 12 | 101 | 104 | 17 | 222 | 18.5 |
| 71 | Pittsburgh | 13 | 101 | 118 | 20 | 239 | 18.4 |
| 72 | New Mexico | 12 | 129 | 76 | 15 | 220 | 18.3 |
| 72 | Ohio | 12 | 86 | 120 | 14 | 220 | 18.3 |
| 72 | New Mexico State | 12 | 49 | 151 | 20 | 220 | 18.3 |
| 75 | West Virginia | 13 | 134 | 86 | 17 | 237 | 18.2 |
| 75 | Tulane | 12 | 77 | 120 | 20 | 218 | 18.2 |
| 77 | Boston College | 14 | 121 | 114 | 19 | 254 | 18.1 |
| 77 | Clemson | 13 | 83 | 129 | 23 | 235 | 18.1 |
| 79 | Louisiana Tech | 13 | 138 | 78 | 18 | 234 | 18.0 |
| 79 | Maryland | 13 | 90 | 127 | 17 | 234 | 18.0 |
| 81 | Toledo | 12 | 92 | 105 | 16 | 213 | 17.8 |
| 81 | Duke | 12 | 81 | 118 | 14 | 213 | 17.8 |
| 83 | Ohio State | 13 | 133 | 82 | 15 | 230 | 17.7 |
| 83 | Northern Illinois | 13 | 116 | 99 | 15 | 230 | 17.7 |
| 83 | California | 13 | 97 | 110 | 23 | 230 | 17.7 |
| 83 | Idaho | 12 | 88 | 104 | 20 | 212 | 17.7 |
| 87 | Virginia Tech | 14 | 135 | 84 | 24 | 243 | 17.4 |
| 87 | Utah State | 12 | 88 | 99 | 22 | 209 | 17.4 |
| 87 | Virginia | 12 | 66 | 126 | 17 | 209 | 17.4 |
| 90 | San Diego State | 12 | 59 | 129 | 19 | 207 | 17.3 |
| 91 | East Carolina | 14 | 104 | 126 | 11 | 241 | 17.2 |
| 91 | Navy | 13 | 186 | 27 | 11 | 224 | 17.2 |
| 91 | North Carolina State | 13 | 98 | 110 | 15 | 223 | 17.2 |
| 94 | Louisiana-Monroe | 12 | 81 | 101 | 23 | 205 | 17.1 |
| 94 | Arizona State | 12 | 70 | 112 | 23 | 205 | 17.1 |
| 94 | SMU | 12 | 43 | 141 | 21 | 205 | 17.1 |
| 97 | Indiana | 12 | 96 | 90 | 18 | 204 | 17.0 |
| 98 | Miami (Florida) | 13 | 89 | 119 | 12 | 220 | 16.9 |
| 99 | Wake Forest | 13 | 92 | 110 | 16 | 218 | 16.8 |
| 99 | Marshall | 12 | 101 | 85 | 15 | 201 | 16.8 |
| 101 | Washington | 12 | 82 | 93 | 25 | 200 | 16.7 |
| 102 | Georgia Tech | 13 | 151 | 54 | 9 | 214 | 16.5 |
| 102 | Minnesota | 13 | 82 | 122 | 10 | 214 | 16.5 |
| 102 | Auburn | 12 | 102 | 82 | 14 | 198 | 16.5 |
| 105 | Kentucky | 13 | 96 | 98 | 18 | 212 | 16.3 |
| 105 | Wyoming | 12 | 114 | 62 | 20 | 196 | 16.3 |
| 105 | UCLA | 12 | 55 | 116 | 25 | 196 | 16.3 |
| 108 | North Carolina | 13 | 88 | 109 | 8 | 205 | 15.8 |
| 109 | Mississippi State | 12 | 69 | 108 | 10 | 187 | 15.6 |
| 110 | Army | 12 | 134 | 32 | 20 | 186 | 15.5 |
| 110 | Michigan | 12 | 98 | 70 | 18 | 186 | 15.5 |
| 112 | Western Kentucky | 12 | 87 | 78 | 17 | 182 | 15.2 |
| 113 | Florida International | 12 | 67 | 98 | 15 | 180 | 15.0 |
| 113 | Temple | 12 | 67 | 96 | 16 | 180 | 15.0 |
| 115 | Vanderbilt | 13 | 93 | 72 | 27 | 192 | 14.8 |
| 116 | San Jose State | 12 | 61 | 93 | 20 | 174 | 14.5 |
| 117 | Tennessee | 12 | 86 | 70 | 16 | 172 | 14.3 |
| 118 | Washington State | 13 | 76 | 87 | 21 | 184 | 14.2 |
| 119 | Syracuse | 12 | 88 | 64 | 12 | 164 | 13.7 |
| 120 | UCF | 12 | 74 | 72 | 10 | 156 | 13.0 |