2016 American Athletic Conference Leaders Total Defense - Games in August/September Only through 01/09/2017
| Name | G | Rush Yards | Pass Yards | Plays | Total Yards | Yards/Play | Yards/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston | 5 | 210 | 1040 | 284 | 1250 | 4.40 | 250.0 |
| 2 | Memphis | 3 | 322 | 539 | 211 | 861 | 4.08 | 287.0 |
| 3 | Navy | 3 | 492 | 587 | 201 | 1079 | 5.37 | 359.7 |
| 4 | Cincinnati | 4 | 525 | 1121 | 304 | 1646 | 5.41 | 411.5 |
| 5 | UCF | 4 | 530 | 702 | 283 | 1232 | 4.35 | 308.0 |
| 6 | Tulane | 4 | 557 | 676 | 277 | 1233 | 4.45 | 308.3 |
| 7 | Connecticut | 5 | 591 | 1473 | 328 | 2064 | 6.29 | 412.8 |
| 8 | SMU | 4 | 592 | 1207 | 332 | 1799 | 5.42 | 449.8 |
| 9 | Tulsa | 4 | 623 | 902 | 295 | 1525 | 5.17 | 381.3 |
| 10 | East Carolina | 4 | 647 | 949 | 249 | 1596 | 6.41 | 399.0 |
| 11 | Temple | 4 | 725 | 584 | 271 | 1309 | 4.83 | 327.3 |
| 12 | South Florida | 4 | 961 | 845 | 353 | 1806 | 5.12 | 451.5 |