2016 National Leaders Opponent First Downs - Games vs. Ranked Teams Only (AP Poll) through 01/09/2017
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Army | 1 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 16 | 16.0 |
| 2 | Southern Miss | 1 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 2 | Miami (OH) | 1 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 4 | Western Michigan | 1 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 5 | Rice | 1 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 6 | Ohio | 1 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 6 | Tulsa | 1 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 6 | Fresno State | 1 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | 1 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 9 | Georgia Southern | 1 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 11 | Western Kentucky | 1 | 9 | 13 | 1 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 12 | Troy | 1 | 8 | 13 | 3 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 13 | Wyoming | 1 | 5 | 17 | 3 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 13 | Toledo | 1 | 11 | 12 | 2 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 13 | Georgia State | 1 | 11 | 13 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 16 | BYU | 1 | 7 | 17 | 2 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 16 | Ball State | 1 | 10 | 16 | 0 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 16 | North Texas | 1 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 16 | Tulane | 1 | 12 | 12 | 2 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 16 | Hawaii | 1 | 17 | 9 | 0 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 21 | Idaho | 1 | 6 | 20 | 1 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 22 | Colorado State | 1 | 15 | 12 | 1 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 23 | Eastern Michigan | 1 | 10 | 18 | 1 | 29 | 29.0 |
| 23 | Buffalo | 1 | 11 | 17 | 1 | 29 | 29.0 |
| 23 | Utah State | 1 | 15 | 12 | 2 | 29 | 29.0 |
| 26 | Georgia | 2 | 17 | 10 | 3 | 30 | 15.0 |
| 27 | Vanderbilt | 2 | 17 | 11 | 3 | 31 | 15.5 |
| 28 | Arkansas State | 1 | 20 | 10 | 2 | 32 | 32.0 |
| 29 | SMU | 2 | 23 | 9 | 1 | 33 | 16.5 |
| 30 | Houston | 2 | 15 | 19 | 1 | 35 | 17.5 |
| 31 | Temple | 2 | 16 | 17 | 6 | 39 | 19.5 |
| 32 | Bowling Green | 1 | 25 | 14 | 2 | 41 | 41.0 |
| 33 | Navy | 2 | 24 | 19 | 0 | 43 | 21.5 |
| 34 | West Virginia | 2 | 17 | 20 | 7 | 44 | 22.0 |
| 35 | Central Michigan | 2 | 16 | 24 | 5 | 45 | 22.5 |
| 36 | Virginia Tech | 2 | 16 | 24 | 7 | 47 | 23.5 |
| 37 | Connecticut | 2 | 28 | 20 | 0 | 48 | 24.0 |
| 38 | Cincinnati | 2 | 29 | 19 | 2 | 50 | 25.0 |
| 39 | Memphis | 2 | 23 | 30 | 4 | 57 | 28.5 |
| 39 | USF | 2 | 36 | 16 | 5 | 57 | 28.5 |
| 41 | Washington | 4 | 24 | 29 | 7 | 60 | 15.0 |
| 42 | Utah | 3 | 22 | 35 | 5 | 62 | 20.7 |
| 42 | Stanford | 3 | 31 | 27 | 4 | 62 | 20.7 |
| 42 | Duke | 3 | 38 | 22 | 2 | 62 | 20.7 |
| 42 | Marshall | 2 | 26 | 27 | 9 | 62 | 31.0 |
| 42 | Northern Illinois | 2 | 30 | 26 | 6 | 62 | 31.0 |
| 47 | Nebraska | 3 | 31 | 29 | 3 | 63 | 21.0 |
| 47 | Akron | 2 | 32 | 28 | 3 | 63 | 31.5 |
| 49 | East Carolina | 3 | 32 | 28 | 4 | 64 | 21.3 |
| 49 | Charlotte | 2 | 26 | 31 | 7 | 64 | 32.0 |
| 51 | Louisville | 3 | 25 | 32 | 9 | 66 | 22.0 |
| 51 | Notre Dame | 3 | 33 | 27 | 6 | 66 | 22.0 |
| 51 | Louisiana-Monroe | 2 | 34 | 29 | 3 | 66 | 33.0 |
| 54 | UCF | 3 | 33 | 28 | 6 | 67 | 22.3 |
| 55 | Indiana | 4 | 41 | 24 | 3 | 68 | 17.0 |
| 56 | Washington State | 3 | 26 | 39 | 4 | 69 | 23.0 |
| 57 | Mississippi State | 3 | 26 | 38 | 6 | 70 | 23.3 |
| 58 | Georgia Tech | 3 | 31 | 39 | 1 | 71 | 23.7 |
| 58 | Kent State | 3 | 45 | 23 | 3 | 71 | 23.7 |
| 60 | Texas | 3 | 29 | 42 | 1 | 72 | 24.0 |
| 60 | Oregon State | 3 | 40 | 30 | 2 | 72 | 24.0 |
| 62 | Michigan State | 4 | 29 | 37 | 7 | 73 | 18.3 |
| 62 | Florida | 4 | 44 | 22 | 7 | 73 | 18.3 |
| 64 | Minnesota | 4 | 35 | 33 | 6 | 74 | 18.5 |
| 64 | NC State | 3 | 24 | 44 | 6 | 74 | 24.7 |
| 66 | UCLA | 3 | 33 | 33 | 9 | 75 | 25.0 |
| 66 | Virginia | 3 | 35 | 35 | 5 | 75 | 25.0 |
| 66 | Kansas | 3 | 37 | 33 | 5 | 75 | 25.0 |
| 69 | Arizona State | 3 | 36 | 35 | 5 | 76 | 25.3 |
| 69 | Missouri | 3 | 38 | 34 | 4 | 76 | 25.3 |
| 69 | TCU | 3 | 39 | 30 | 7 | 76 | 25.3 |
| 72 | Baylor | 3 | 35 | 34 | 9 | 78 | 26.0 |
| 73 | Kentucky | 3 | 38 | 41 | 0 | 79 | 26.3 |
| 74 | LSU | 5 | 41 | 33 | 6 | 80 | 16.0 |
| 75 | South Carolina | 3 | 34 | 44 | 4 | 82 | 27.3 |
| 75 | Texas A&M | 3 | 46 | 29 | 7 | 82 | 27.3 |
| 77 | Miami (FL) | 4 | 33 | 41 | 9 | 83 | 20.8 |
| 77 | Oklahoma | 4 | 52 | 26 | 5 | 83 | 20.8 |
| 79 | Tennessee | 4 | 37 | 42 | 5 | 84 | 21.0 |
| 80 | Alabama | 6 | 29 | 49 | 7 | 85 | 14.2 |
| 80 | North Carolina | 4 | 45 | 33 | 7 | 85 | 21.3 |
| 82 | Iowa | 5 | 41 | 39 | 6 | 86 | 17.2 |
| 82 | California | 3 | 46 | 33 | 7 | 86 | 28.7 |
| 84 | Kansas State | 4 | 26 | 60 | 1 | 87 | 21.8 |
| 84 | Auburn | 4 | 38 | 41 | 8 | 87 | 21.8 |
| 86 | Texas Tech | 3 | 38 | 49 | 1 | 88 | 29.3 |
| 87 | USC | 5 | 39 | 46 | 4 | 89 | 17.8 |
| 87 | Wake Forest | 4 | 42 | 43 | 4 | 89 | 22.3 |
| 89 | Michigan | 6 | 45 | 32 | 13 | 90 | 15.0 |
| 90 | Oklahoma State | 4 | 41 | 46 | 4 | 91 | 22.8 |
| 90 | Arizona | 4 | 54 | 28 | 9 | 91 | 22.8 |
| 92 | Boston College | 4 | 36 | 45 | 11 | 92 | 23.0 |
| 93 | Purdue | 4 | 50 | 36 | 7 | 93 | 23.3 |
| 94 | Florida State | 5 | 44 | 43 | 9 | 96 | 19.2 |
| 95 | Iowa State | 4 | 41 | 51 | 6 | 98 | 24.5 |
| 96 | Ole Miss | 4 | 50 | 46 | 4 | 100 | 25.0 |
| 97 | Ohio State | 6 | 49 | 51 | 3 | 103 | 17.2 |
| 97 | Arkansas | 5 | 55 | 43 | 5 | 103 | 20.6 |
| 99 | Pittsburgh | 4 | 19 | 79 | 9 | 107 | 26.8 |
| 100 | Colorado | 5 | 49 | 56 | 4 | 109 | 21.8 |
| 101 | Illinois | 5 | 64 | 40 | 7 | 111 | 22.2 |
| 102 | Rutgers | 5 | 71 | 41 | 4 | 116 | 23.2 |
| 103 | Maryland | 4 | 59 | 47 | 13 | 119 | 29.8 |
| 104 | Wisconsin | 7 | 52 | 69 | 6 | 127 | 18.1 |
| 105 | Northwestern | 6 | 66 | 59 | 4 | 129 | 21.5 |
| 106 | Clemson | 7 | 53 | 65 | 20 | 138 | 19.7 |
| 107 | Oregon | 5 | 68 | 61 | 13 | 142 | 28.4 |
| 108 | Penn State | 7 | 57 | 74 | 14 | 145 | 20.7 |
| 109 | Syracuse | 6 | 68 | 79 | 5 | 152 | 25.3 |