2012 National Leaders First Downs - Games vs. FCS (I-AA) Teams Only through 01/07/2013
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | 1 | 22 | 17 | 4 | 43 | 43.0 |
| 1 | Akron | 1 | 12 | 29 | 2 | 43 | 43.0 |
| 3 | Oregon State | 1 | 14 | 25 | 3 | 42 | 42.0 |
| 4 | Nevada | 1 | 19 | 15 | 3 | 37 | 37.0 |
| 4 | Marshall | 1 | 14 | 21 | 2 | 37 | 37.0 |
| 4 | Texas Tech | 1 | 10 | 20 | 7 | 37 | 37.0 |
| 7 | Oklahoma State | 1 | 20 | 13 | 0 | 33 | 33.0 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | 1 | 17 | 14 | 2 | 33 | 33.0 |
| 7 | Purdue | 1 | 10 | 21 | 2 | 33 | 33.0 |
| 10 | Mississippi | 1 | 14 | 16 | 1 | 31 | 31.0 |
| 10 | Western Michigan | 1 | 12 | 18 | 1 | 31 | 31.0 |
| 12 | Arkansas State | 1 | 23 | 7 | 0 | 30 | 30.0 |
| 12 | Bowling Green | 1 | 12 | 15 | 3 | 30 | 30.0 |
| 14 | Central Michigan | 1 | 18 | 9 | 1 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 14 | Utah State | 1 | 16 | 11 | 1 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 14 | Oregon | 1 | 15 | 12 | 1 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 14 | Western Kentucky | 1 | 14 | 13 | 1 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 14 | Buffalo | 1 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 14 | Virginia | 1 | 13 | 15 | 0 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 14 | San Jose State | 1 | 13 | 14 | 1 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 14 | West Virginia | 1 | 8 | 20 | 0 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 22 | Air Force | 1 | 21 | 6 | 0 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 22 | North Carolina State | 1 | 20 | 7 | 0 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 22 | Navy | 1 | 19 | 6 | 2 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 22 | Baylor | 1 | 16 | 10 | 1 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 22 | San Diego State | 1 | 15 | 9 | 3 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 22 | Iowa State | 1 | 14 | 13 | 0 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 22 | Syracuse | 1 | 13 | 12 | 2 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 22 | Tennessee | 1 | 9 | 18 | 0 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 30 | Nebraska | 1 | 21 | 3 | 2 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 30 | TCU | 1 | 15 | 11 | 0 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 30 | Northern Illinois | 1 | 11 | 13 | 2 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 30 | BYU | 1 | 10 | 15 | 1 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 30 | Indiana | 1 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 30 | Utah | 1 | 9 | 15 | 2 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 30 | UAB | 1 | 8 | 17 | 1 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 37 | Vanderbilt | 1 | 15 | 9 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 37 | Fresno State | 1 | 13 | 10 | 2 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 37 | Arizona State | 1 | 12 | 11 | 2 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 37 | Iowa | 1 | 11 | 12 | 2 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 37 | Arkansas | 1 | 11 | 11 | 3 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 37 | East Carolina | 1 | 9 | 13 | 3 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 37 | Louisville | 1 | 6 | 18 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 44 | Florida State | 2 | 21 | 26 | 1 | 48 | 24.0 |
| 44 | UTSA | 2 | 15 | 29 | 4 | 48 | 24.0 |
| 44 | New Mexico | 1 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 44 | North Carolina | 1 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 44 | Washington | 1 | 10 | 11 | 3 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 44 | Tulsa | 1 | 10 | 11 | 3 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 44 | Georgia | 1 | 8 | 15 | 1 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 51 | Georgia Tech | 1 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 51 | North Texas | 1 | 17 | 6 | 0 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 51 | Auburn | 1 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 51 | Mississippi State | 1 | 9 | 12 | 2 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 51 | Miami (Ohio) | 1 | 6 | 15 | 2 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 56 | Cincinnati | 2 | 24 | 18 | 3 | 45 | 22.5 |
| 56 | Texas A&M | 2 | 24 | 16 | 5 | 45 | 22.5 |
| 58 | Kentucky | 1 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 58 | Alabama | 1 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 58 | Northwestern | 1 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 58 | Wisconsin | 1 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 58 | Kansas | 1 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 58 | Virginia Tech | 1 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 58 | Clemson | 1 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 65 | Kansas State | 1 | 13 | 7 | 1 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 65 | Duke | 1 | 8 | 12 | 1 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 65 | Boston College | 1 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 68 | Pittsburgh | 2 | 15 | 24 | 2 | 41 | 20.5 |
| 69 | Memphis | 1 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 69 | Miami (Florida) | 1 | 11 | 8 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 69 | Hawai'i | 1 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 69 | UNLV | 1 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 69 | Middle Tennessee | 1 | 7 | 12 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 69 | Colorado | 1 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 69 | Ohio | 1 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 69 | Washington State | 1 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 77 | Minnesota | 1 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 77 | South Florida | 1 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 77 | California | 1 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 77 | Illinois | 1 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 81 | Army | 1 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 81 | Florida | 1 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 81 | Missouri | 1 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 81 | South Carolina | 1 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 81 | LSU | 1 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 81 | South Alabama | 1 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 81 | New Mexico State | 1 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 81 | Toledo | 1 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 89 | Florida Atlantic | 1 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 89 | SMU | 1 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 89 | Texas State | 1 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 92 | Rutgers | 1 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 16.0 |
| 93 | Temple | 1 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 15.0 |
| 93 | Kent State | 1 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 15 | 15.0 |
| 93 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 1 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 15 | 15.0 |
| 96 | Wyoming | 1 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 14.0 |
| 96 | Wake Forest | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 14.0 |
| 98 | Maryland | 1 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 13.0 |
| 99 | Eastern Michigan | 1 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 11.0 |
| 99 | Colorado State | 1 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 11.0 |
| 101 | Idaho | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 10.0 |