2016 Mid-American Conference Leaders First Downs - Games vs. FBS Power 5 Conference Teams Only through 01/09/2017
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central Michigan | 2 | 10 | 32 | 3 | 45 | 22.5 |
| 2 | Western Michigan | 3 | 35 | 27 | 3 | 65 | 21.7 |
| 3 | Miami (Ohio) | 2 | 25 | 22 | 2 | 49 | 24.5 |
| 4 | Ohio | 2 | 20 | 18 | 6 | 44 | 22.0 |
| 5 | Eastern Michigan | 1 | 7 | 12 | 2 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 6 | Bowling Green | 1 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 16 | 16.0 |
| 7 | Ball State | 1 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 8 | Kent State | 2 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 21 | 10.5 |
| 9 | Akron | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 10.0 |
| 10 | Buffalo | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 |