2016 National Leaders Opponent First Downs - Games in December/January Only through 01/09/2017
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UCF | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 8.0 |
| 1 | Miami (Florida) | 1 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 11.0 |
| 3 | LSU | 1 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 11.0 |
| 3 | Minnesota | 1 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 16 | 16.0 |
| 3 | Tulsa | 1 | 4 | 14 | 1 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 3 | South Florida | 1 | 4 | 20 | 3 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 7 | Appalachian State | 1 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 14 | 14.0 |
| 7 | Florida State | 1 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 16 | 16.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | 1 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 7 | Louisville | 1 | 5 | 11 | 4 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 7 | Vanderbilt | 1 | 5 | 14 | 2 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 7 | Wake Forest | 1 | 5 | 14 | 2 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 13 | Iowa | 1 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 11.0 |
| 13 | Houston | 1 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 13.0 |
| 13 | Air Force | 1 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 13.0 |
| 13 | Georgia Southern | 1 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 13 | Hawai'i | 1 | 6 | 18 | 5 | 29 | 29.0 |
| 18 | Michigan | 1 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 15 | 15.0 |
| 18 | Boston College | 1 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 18 | North Carolina State | 1 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 21 | Maryland | 1 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 15.0 |
| 21 | North Carolina | 1 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 16 | 16.0 |
| 21 | Georgia State | 1 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 16 | 16.0 |
| 21 | Arkansas State | 2 | 8 | 15 | 9 | 32 | 16.0 |
| 21 | Georgia | 1 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 21 | Washington State | 1 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 21 | Middle Tennessee | 1 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 21 | Utah | 1 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 21 | USC | 1 | 8 | 12 | 3 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 21 | Stanford | 1 | 8 | 15 | 3 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 21 | Old Dominion | 1 | 8 | 16 | 4 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 32 | Texas A&M | 1 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 32 | Miami (Ohio) | 1 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 32 | Texas State | 1 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 32 | Northwestern | 1 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 32 | Georgia Tech | 1 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 32 | Arkansas | 1 | 9 | 14 | 2 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 38 | San Diego State | 2 | 10 | 19 | 0 | 29 | 14.5 |
| 38 | BYU | 1 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 38 | South Carolina | 1 | 10 | 13 | 1 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 38 | Western Kentucky | 2 | 10 | 38 | 5 | 53 | 26.5 |
| 38 | Pittsburgh | 1 | 10 | 15 | 2 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 43 | Army | 2 | 11 | 15 | 1 | 27 | 13.5 |
| 43 | West Virginia | 2 | 11 | 26 | 2 | 39 | 19.5 |
| 43 | Idaho | 2 | 11 | 26 | 7 | 44 | 22.0 |
| 43 | Auburn | 1 | 11 | 14 | 3 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 47 | Western Michigan | 2 | 12 | 18 | 2 | 32 | 16.0 |
| 47 | Wisconsin | 2 | 12 | 25 | 2 | 39 | 19.5 |
| 47 | Indiana | 1 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 47 | Virginia Tech | 2 | 12 | 25 | 7 | 44 | 22.0 |
| 47 | Mississippi State | 1 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 47 | Ohio State | 1 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 47 | Nebraska | 1 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 47 | Boise State | 1 | 12 | 16 | 1 | 29 | 29.0 |
| 55 | UTSA | 1 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 55 | Ohio | 2 | 13 | 23 | 1 | 37 | 18.5 |
| 55 | New Mexico | 1 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 55 | Eastern Michigan | 1 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 55 | Southern Mississippi | 1 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 55 | New Mexico State | 1 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 55 | Colorado State | 1 | 13 | 16 | 1 | 30 | 30.0 |
| 62 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 2 | 14 | 14 | 2 | 30 | 15.0 |
| 62 | Toledo | 1 | 14 | 9 | 2 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 62 | Memphis | 1 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 65 | Kansas State | 2 | 15 | 21 | 4 | 40 | 20.0 |
| 65 | Kentucky | 1 | 15 | 4 | 2 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 67 | Louisiana-Monroe | 1 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 67 | Temple | 2 | 16 | 17 | 2 | 35 | 17.5 |
| 67 | Alabama | 3 | 16 | 40 | 5 | 61 | 20.3 |
| 70 | Washington | 2 | 17 | 6 | 2 | 25 | 12.5 |
| 70 | Oklahoma State | 2 | 17 | 23 | 3 | 43 | 21.5 |
| 70 | Penn State | 2 | 17 | 32 | 6 | 55 | 27.5 |
| 73 | Wyoming | 2 | 18 | 9 | 2 | 29 | 14.5 |
| 73 | Clemson | 3 | 18 | 21 | 5 | 44 | 14.7 |
| 75 | Troy | 2 | 19 | 18 | 6 | 43 | 21.5 |
| 76 | North Texas | 1 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 76 | Central Michigan | 1 | 20 | 14 | 0 | 34 | 34.0 |
| 78 | Florida | 2 | 21 | 6 | 5 | 32 | 16.0 |
| 79 | Baylor | 2 | 22 | 21 | 7 | 50 | 25.0 |
| 80 | Oklahoma | 2 | 24 | 13 | 2 | 39 | 19.5 |
| 81 | Colorado | 2 | 25 | 19 | 2 | 46 | 23.0 |
| 82 | TCU | 2 | 26 | 11 | 1 | 38 | 19.0 |
| 82 | South Alabama | 2 | 26 | 13 | 6 | 45 | 22.5 |
| 84 | Louisiana Tech | 2 | 30 | 20 | 6 | 56 | 28.0 |
| 85 | Navy | 3 | 39 | 28 | 5 | 72 | 24.0 |