2016 National 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 | Kansas State | 3 | 217 | 320 | 143 | 537 | 3.76 | 179.0 |
| 2 | Buffalo | 3 | 873 | 330 | 220 | 1203 | 5.47 | 401.0 |
| 3 | Georgia State | 3 | 976 | 410 | 252 | 1386 | 5.50 | 462.0 |
| 4 | Miami (FL) | 3 | 213 | 457 | 211 | 670 | 3.18 | 223.3 |
| 5 | Clemson | 4 | 371 | 503 | 256 | 874 | 3.41 | 218.5 |
| 6 | New Mexico | 3 | 462 | 518 | 196 | 980 | 5.00 | 326.7 |
| 7 | Ohio State | 3 | 307 | 528 | 209 | 835 | 4.00 | 278.3 |
| 8 | Memphis | 3 | 322 | 539 | 211 | 861 | 4.08 | 287.0 |
| 9 | Louisiana-Monroe | 3 | 872 | 560 | 247 | 1432 | 5.80 | 477.3 |
| 10 | Baylor | 4 | 670 | 570 | 311 | 1240 | 3.99 | 310.0 |
| 11 | Boston College | 4 | 364 | 579 | 244 | 943 | 3.86 | 235.8 |
| 11 | Southern Miss | 4 | 438 | 579 | 223 | 1017 | 4.56 | 254.3 |
| 13 | Florida | 4 | 306 | 581 | 229 | 887 | 3.87 | 221.8 |
| 14 | Temple | 4 | 725 | 584 | 271 | 1309 | 4.83 | 327.3 |
| 15 | Navy | 3 | 492 | 587 | 201 | 1079 | 5.37 | 359.7 |
| 16 | Michigan | 4 | 490 | 589 | 250 | 1079 | 4.32 | 269.8 |
| 17 | Illinois | 3 | 474 | 590 | 190 | 1064 | 5.60 | 354.7 |
| 18 | Oregon State | 3 | 560 | 595 | 224 | 1155 | 5.16 | 385.0 |
| 19 | Virginia Tech | 4 | 454 | 603 | 253 | 1057 | 4.18 | 264.3 |
| 20 | South Alabama | 4 | 960 | 605 | 262 | 1565 | 5.97 | 391.3 |
| 21 | NC State | 3 | 327 | 607 | 182 | 934 | 5.13 | 311.3 |
| 22 | Louisville | 4 | 488 | 625 | 287 | 1113 | 3.88 | 278.3 |
| 23 | Maryland | 3 | 466 | 630 | 223 | 1096 | 4.91 | 365.3 |
| 24 | Toledo | 4 | 701 | 640 | 249 | 1341 | 5.39 | 335.3 |
| 25 | Colorado | 4 | 574 | 652 | 268 | 1226 | 4.57 | 306.5 |
| 26 | Purdue | 3 | 506 | 657 | 228 | 1163 | 5.10 | 387.7 |
| 27 | Indiana | 3 | 383 | 671 | 215 | 1054 | 4.90 | 351.3 |
| 28 | Tulane | 4 | 557 | 676 | 277 | 1233 | 4.45 | 308.3 |
| 29 | Michigan State | 3 | 266 | 678 | 193 | 944 | 4.89 | 314.7 |
| 30 | Minnesota | 3 | 356 | 686 | 223 | 1042 | 4.67 | 347.3 |
| 31 | Penn State | 4 | 855 | 695 | 286 | 1550 | 5.42 | 387.5 |
| 32 | Nevada | 4 | 1019 | 697 | 289 | 1716 | 5.94 | 429.0 |
| 33 | UCF | 4 | 530 | 702 | 283 | 1232 | 4.35 | 308.0 |
| 34 | Texas | 3 | 452 | 707 | 217 | 1159 | 5.34 | 386.3 |
| 35 | Army | 4 | 350 | 709 | 211 | 1059 | 5.02 | 264.8 |
| 36 | UTSA | 4 | 808 | 721 | 289 | 1529 | 5.29 | 382.3 |
| 37 | Rutgers | 4 | 727 | 723 | 264 | 1450 | 5.49 | 362.5 |
| 38 | Utah | 4 | 531 | 729 | 248 | 1260 | 5.08 | 315.0 |
| 39 | North Carolina | 4 | 961 | 738 | 302 | 1699 | 5.63 | 424.8 |
| 40 | West Virginia | 3 | 645 | 743 | 249 | 1388 | 5.57 | 462.7 |
| 41 | Iowa | 4 | 716 | 745 | 285 | 1461 | 5.13 | 365.3 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | 3 | 458 | 745 | 214 | 1203 | 5.62 | 401.0 |
| 43 | Air Force | 3 | 155 | 773 | 185 | 928 | 5.02 | 309.3 |
| 44 | Iowa State | 4 | 836 | 779 | 297 | 1615 | 5.44 | 403.8 |
| 45 | Utah State | 4 | 569 | 781 | 278 | 1350 | 4.86 | 337.5 |
| 46 | UCLA | 4 | 608 | 785 | 285 | 1393 | 4.89 | 348.3 |
| 46 | Fresno State | 4 | 1042 | 785 | 305 | 1827 | 5.99 | 456.8 |
| 48 | Wisconsin | 4 | 322 | 786 | 220 | 1108 | 5.04 | 277.0 |
| 49 | Kent State | 4 | 664 | 798 | 306 | 1462 | 4.78 | 365.5 |
| 50 | USC | 4 | 779 | 799 | 271 | 1578 | 5.82 | 394.5 |
| 51 | Middle Tennessee State | 4 | 745 | 800 | 313 | 1545 | 4.94 | 386.3 |
| 52 | UTEP | 4 | 938 | 801 | 293 | 1739 | 5.94 | 434.8 |
| 53 | South Carolina | 4 | 794 | 803 | 300 | 1597 | 5.32 | 399.3 |
| 54 | San Diego State | 3 | 308 | 805 | 219 | 1113 | 5.08 | 371.0 |
| 55 | Ole Miss | 4 | 958 | 815 | 319 | 1773 | 5.56 | 443.3 |
| 56 | North Texas | 4 | 939 | 826 | 296 | 1765 | 5.96 | 441.3 |
| 57 | Nebraska | 4 | 635 | 829 | 272 | 1464 | 5.38 | 366.0 |
| 58 | Florida State | 4 | 823 | 831 | 244 | 1654 | 6.78 | 413.5 |
| 59 | USF | 4 | 961 | 845 | 353 | 1806 | 5.12 | 451.5 |
| 60 | Tennessee | 4 | 564 | 848 | 285 | 1412 | 4.95 | 353.0 |
| 61 | Alabama | 4 | 270 | 851 | 246 | 1121 | 4.56 | 280.3 |
| 62 | Boise State | 3 | 217 | 857 | 233 | 1074 | 4.61 | 358.0 |
| 63 | Georgia Tech | 4 | 484 | 873 | 265 | 1357 | 5.12 | 339.3 |
| 63 | Auburn | 4 | 668 | 873 | 279 | 1541 | 5.52 | 385.3 |
| 65 | Washington | 5 | 611 | 885 | 354 | 1496 | 4.23 | 299.2 |
| 65 | Western Michigan | 4 | 434 | 885 | 235 | 1319 | 5.61 | 329.8 |
| 67 | Arkansas | 4 | 662 | 897 | 255 | 1559 | 6.11 | 389.8 |
| 68 | LSU | 4 | 464 | 901 | 281 | 1365 | 4.86 | 341.3 |
| 69 | Tulsa | 4 | 623 | 902 | 295 | 1525 | 5.17 | 381.3 |
| 70 | Miami (OH) | 4 | 675 | 910 | 274 | 1585 | 5.78 | 396.3 |
| 71 | Georgia Southern | 4 | 311 | 912 | 242 | 1223 | 5.05 | 305.8 |
| 72 | California | 4 | 1053 | 914 | 312 | 1967 | 6.30 | 491.8 |
| 73 | Central Michigan | 4 | 424 | 922 | 273 | 1346 | 4.93 | 336.5 |
| 74 | Duke | 4 | 516 | 925 | 276 | 1441 | 5.22 | 360.3 |
| 75 | Old Dominion | 4 | 609 | 926 | 295 | 1535 | 5.20 | 383.8 |
| 76 | Massachusetts | 4 | 690 | 930 | 289 | 1620 | 5.61 | 405.0 |
| 77 | Stanford | 4 | 500 | 937 | 256 | 1437 | 5.61 | 359.3 |
| 78 | New Mexico State | 4 | 1098 | 940 | 298 | 2038 | 6.84 | 509.5 |
| 79 | Missouri | 4 | 527 | 944 | 323 | 1471 | 4.55 | 367.8 |
| 80 | East Carolina | 4 | 647 | 949 | 249 | 1596 | 6.41 | 399.0 |
| 81 | Kansas | 4 | 777 | 953 | 307 | 1730 | 5.64 | 432.5 |
| 82 | Texas State | 3 | 706 | 954 | 245 | 1660 | 6.78 | 553.3 |
| 83 | Marshall | 3 | 465 | 971 | 216 | 1436 | 6.65 | 478.7 |
| 84 | Georgia | 4 | 559 | 973 | 256 | 1532 | 5.98 | 383.0 |
| 85 | Washington State | 3 | 309 | 974 | 195 | 1283 | 6.58 | 427.7 |
| 86 | FIU | 4 | 877 | 981 | 300 | 1858 | 6.19 | 464.5 |
| 87 | Mississippi State | 4 | 443 | 982 | 273 | 1425 | 5.22 | 356.3 |
| 88 | Florida Atlantic | 4 | 984 | 999 | 308 | 1983 | 6.44 | 495.8 |
| 89 | Wake Forest | 4 | 354 | 1000 | 269 | 1354 | 5.03 | 338.5 |
| 90 | Ohio | 4 | 523 | 1005 | 270 | 1528 | 5.66 | 382.0 |
| 91 | Idaho | 4 | 823 | 1007 | 291 | 1830 | 6.29 | 457.5 |
| 92 | Notre Dame | 4 | 804 | 1012 | 294 | 1816 | 6.18 | 454.0 |
| 93 | TCU | 4 | 522 | 1017 | 289 | 1539 | 5.33 | 384.8 |
| 94 | Arkansas State | 4 | 957 | 1021 | 316 | 1978 | 6.26 | 494.5 |
| 95 | UNLV | 4 | 603 | 1025 | 297 | 1628 | 5.48 | 407.0 |
| 95 | Arizona | 4 | 793 | 1025 | 309 | 1818 | 5.88 | 454.5 |
| 97 | Northwestern | 4 | 710 | 1030 | 314 | 1740 | 5.54 | 435.0 |
| 97 | Syracuse | 4 | 837 | 1030 | 292 | 1867 | 6.39 | 466.8 |
| 99 | Oregon | 4 | 770 | 1031 | 326 | 1801 | 5.52 | 450.3 |
| 100 | Kentucky | 4 | 820 | 1032 | 323 | 1852 | 5.73 | 463.0 |
| 101 | San Jose State | 4 | 895 | 1034 | 277 | 1929 | 6.96 | 482.3 |
| 102 | Houston | 5 | 210 | 1040 | 284 | 1250 | 4.40 | 250.0 |
| 103 | Colorado State | 4 | 595 | 1046 | 285 | 1641 | 5.76 | 410.3 |
| 104 | Texas A&M | 4 | 513 | 1050 | 326 | 1563 | 4.79 | 390.8 |
| 105 | Northern Illinois | 4 | 945 | 1051 | 311 | 1996 | 6.42 | 499.0 |
| 106 | Ball State | 4 | 388 | 1071 | 273 | 1459 | 5.34 | 364.8 |
| 107 | Hawaii | 4 | 1056 | 1086 | 287 | 2142 | 7.46 | 535.5 |
| 108 | Eastern Michigan | 4 | 429 | 1088 | 298 | 1517 | 5.09 | 379.3 |
| 109 | Oklahoma State | 4 | 573 | 1098 | 278 | 1671 | 6.01 | 417.8 |
| 110 | Appalachian State | 4 | 581 | 1099 | 267 | 1680 | 6.29 | 420.0 |
| 110 | Vanderbilt | 4 | 711 | 1099 | 284 | 1810 | 6.37 | 452.5 |
| 112 | Cincinnati | 4 | 525 | 1121 | 304 | 1646 | 5.41 | 411.5 |
| 113 | Louisiana | 4 | 461 | 1136 | 301 | 1597 | 5.31 | 399.3 |
| 114 | Louisiana Tech | 4 | 655 | 1154 | 297 | 1809 | 6.09 | 452.3 |
| 115 | Western Kentucky | 4 | 424 | 1155 | 302 | 1579 | 5.23 | 394.8 |
| 116 | Troy | 4 | 467 | 1161 | 316 | 1628 | 5.15 | 407.0 |
| 117 | Rice | 4 | 956 | 1184 | 307 | 2140 | 6.97 | 535.0 |
| 118 | Wyoming | 4 | 584 | 1191 | 294 | 1775 | 6.04 | 443.8 |
| 119 | SMU | 4 | 592 | 1207 | 332 | 1799 | 5.42 | 449.8 |
| 120 | Texas Tech | 4 | 666 | 1224 | 324 | 1890 | 5.83 | 472.5 |
| 120 | Virginia | 4 | 704 | 1224 | 295 | 1928 | 6.54 | 482.0 |
| 122 | Charlotte | 4 | 651 | 1295 | 282 | 1946 | 6.90 | 486.5 |
| 123 | Bowling Green | 4 | 924 | 1309 | 315 | 2233 | 7.09 | 558.3 |
| 124 | Akron | 4 | 801 | 1318 | 341 | 2119 | 6.21 | 529.8 |
| 125 | Pittsburgh | 4 | 245 | 1444 | 277 | 1689 | 6.10 | 422.3 |
| 126 | Connecticut | 5 | 591 | 1473 | 328 | 2064 | 6.29 | 412.8 |
| 127 | BYU | 5 | 670 | 1551 | 349 | 2221 | 6.36 | 444.2 |
| 128 | Arizona State | 4 | 380 | 1616 | 302 | 1996 | 6.61 | 499.0 |