2016 Mid-American Conference Leaders First Downs - Games vs. FBS (I-A) Teams Only through 01/09/2017
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Michigan | 13 | 165 | 141 | 16 | 322 | 24.8 |
| 2 | Ball State | 11 | 128 | 128 | 10 | 266 | 24.2 |
| 3 | Northern Illinois | 11 | 123 | 113 | 21 | 257 | 23.4 |
| 4 | Bowling Green | 11 | 116 | 115 | 26 | 257 | 23.4 |
| 5 | Toledo | 12 | 113 | 160 | 25 | 298 | 24.8 |
| 6 | Ohio | 13 | 112 | 117 | 32 | 261 | 20.1 |
| 7 | Eastern Michigan | 12 | 101 | 158 | 20 | 279 | 23.3 |
| 8 | Miami (Ohio) | 12 | 94 | 119 | 19 | 232 | 19.3 |
| 9 | Buffalo | 11 | 85 | 102 | 10 | 197 | 17.9 |
| 10 | Akron | 11 | 79 | 107 | 24 | 210 | 19.1 |
| 11 | Kent State | 10 | 77 | 58 | 11 | 146 | 14.6 |
| 12 | Central Michigan | 12 | 73 | 145 | 16 | 234 | 19.5 |