2016 Mid-American Conference Leaders First Downs - Games vs. Non-Conference Teams Only through 01/09/2017
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio | 5 | 53 | 56 | 14 | 123 | 24.6 |
| 2 | Western Michigan | 5 | 67 | 44 | 6 | 117 | 23.4 |
| 3 | Toledo | 5 | 48 | 60 | 7 | 115 | 23.0 |
| 4 | Eastern Michigan | 5 | 46 | 60 | 8 | 114 | 22.8 |
| 5 | Central Michigan | 5 | 31 | 69 | 10 | 110 | 22.0 |
| 6 | Miami (Ohio) | 5 | 45 | 53 | 10 | 108 | 21.6 |
| 7 | Ball State | 4 | 46 | 43 | 7 | 96 | 24.0 |
| 8 | Akron | 4 | 25 | 53 | 12 | 90 | 22.5 |
| 9 | Northern Illinois | 4 | 38 | 36 | 10 | 84 | 21.0 |
| 10 | Bowling Green | 4 | 33 | 37 | 6 | 76 | 19.0 |
| 11 | Buffalo | 4 | 30 | 24 | 4 | 58 | 14.5 |
| 12 | Kent State | 4 | 26 | 23 | 4 | 53 | 13.3 |