2016 National Leaders First Downs - Games vs. FBS Power 5 Conference Teams Only through 01/09/2017
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas Tech | 10 | 68 | 195 | 25 | 288 | 28.8 |
| 2 | California | 10 | 88 | 155 | 31 | 274 | 27.4 |
| 3 | Clemson | 13 | 115 | 207 | 30 | 352 | 27.1 |
| 4 | Middle Tennessee State | 2 | 17 | 30 | 5 | 52 | 26.0 |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 11 | 120 | 147 | 15 | 282 | 25.6 |
| 5 | Washington State | 10 | 63 | 169 | 24 | 256 | 25.6 |
| 7 | Texas | 10 | 132 | 102 | 18 | 252 | 25.2 |
| 8 | USC | 11 | 108 | 143 | 19 | 270 | 24.5 |
| 8 | Miami (OH) | 2 | 25 | 22 | 2 | 49 | 24.5 |
| 10 | Boise State | 3 | 28 | 43 | 2 | 73 | 24.3 |
| 10 | East Carolina | 3 | 21 | 46 | 6 | 73 | 24.3 |
| 12 | Baylor | 9 | 115 | 91 | 11 | 217 | 24.1 |
| 12 | Ole Miss | 9 | 64 | 135 | 18 | 217 | 24.1 |
| 14 | Florida State | 11 | 116 | 124 | 24 | 264 | 24.0 |
| 14 | Southern Miss | 2 | 22 | 19 | 7 | 48 | 24.0 |
| 16 | Virginia Tech | 11 | 107 | 137 | 19 | 263 | 23.9 |
| 17 | Oklahoma State | 11 | 104 | 143 | 15 | 262 | 23.8 |
| 18 | Louisville | 10 | 113 | 108 | 15 | 236 | 23.6 |
| 19 | Oregon | 11 | 114 | 122 | 23 | 259 | 23.5 |
| 19 | West Virginia | 11 | 117 | 119 | 22 | 258 | 23.5 |
| 21 | Memphis | 2 | 19 | 22 | 5 | 46 | 23.0 |
| 21 | Houston | 2 | 10 | 31 | 5 | 46 | 23.0 |
| 23 | Ohio State | 11 | 139 | 95 | 17 | 251 | 22.8 |
| 24 | Northwestern | 11 | 93 | 138 | 19 | 250 | 22.7 |
| 24 | Utah | 10 | 116 | 91 | 20 | 227 | 22.7 |
| 26 | Central Michigan | 2 | 10 | 32 | 3 | 45 | 22.5 |
| 27 | Washington | 12 | 125 | 126 | 18 | 269 | 22.4 |
| 28 | Colorado | 12 | 119 | 124 | 25 | 268 | 22.3 |
| 28 | Hawaii | 3 | 29 | 31 | 7 | 67 | 22.3 |
| 30 | BYU | 6 | 59 | 62 | 11 | 132 | 22.0 |
| 30 | Georgia Southern | 2 | 26 | 12 | 6 | 44 | 22.0 |
| 30 | New Mexico State | 2 | 20 | 18 | 6 | 44 | 22.0 |
| 30 | Ohio | 2 | 20 | 18 | 6 | 44 | 22.0 |
| 30 | San Diego State | 1 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 30 | Cincinnati | 1 | 9 | 12 | 1 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 36 | Kansas State | 11 | 135 | 83 | 23 | 241 | 21.9 |
| 37 | Duke | 9 | 61 | 119 | 16 | 196 | 21.8 |
| 38 | Tennessee | 10 | 100 | 102 | 15 | 217 | 21.7 |
| 38 | NC State | 9 | 69 | 111 | 15 | 195 | 21.7 |
| 38 | Western Michigan | 3 | 35 | 27 | 3 | 65 | 21.7 |
| 41 | North Carolina | 11 | 79 | 144 | 15 | 238 | 21.6 |
| 41 | Arkansas | 10 | 76 | 121 | 19 | 216 | 21.6 |
| 43 | TCU | 11 | 106 | 112 | 18 | 236 | 21.5 |
| 43 | Louisiana Tech | 2 | 21 | 20 | 2 | 43 | 21.5 |
| 45 | Iowa State | 10 | 91 | 110 | 13 | 214 | 21.4 |
| 46 | Michigan | 11 | 118 | 98 | 18 | 234 | 21.3 |
| 46 | Indiana | 11 | 79 | 134 | 21 | 234 | 21.3 |
| 46 | Missouri | 9 | 94 | 87 | 11 | 192 | 21.3 |
| 46 | Michigan State | 9 | 86 | 97 | 9 | 192 | 21.3 |
| 50 | Syracuse | 8 | 54 | 97 | 18 | 169 | 21.1 |
| 51 | Alabama | 12 | 146 | 95 | 11 | 252 | 21.0 |
| 51 | San Jose State | 2 | 20 | 19 | 3 | 42 | 21.0 |
| 51 | Louisiana | 1 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 51 | New Mexico | 1 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 51 | Eastern Michigan | 1 | 7 | 12 | 2 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 51 | Troy | 1 | 6 | 11 | 4 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 57 | Georgia | 11 | 109 | 101 | 18 | 228 | 20.7 |
| 58 | Mississippi State | 8 | 86 | 67 | 11 | 164 | 20.5 |
| 59 | Penn State | 12 | 105 | 117 | 23 | 245 | 20.4 |
| 59 | Kentucky | 10 | 114 | 72 | 18 | 204 | 20.4 |
| 61 | USF | 3 | 32 | 25 | 4 | 61 | 20.3 |
| 62 | Nebraska | 11 | 92 | 111 | 18 | 221 | 20.1 |
| 62 | Notre Dame | 9 | 68 | 103 | 10 | 181 | 20.1 |
| 64 | Pittsburgh | 11 | 114 | 91 | 15 | 220 | 20.0 |
| 64 | LSU | 10 | 101 | 85 | 14 | 200 | 20.0 |
| 64 | Arizona | 9 | 93 | 60 | 27 | 180 | 20.0 |
| 64 | Miami (FL) | 9 | 63 | 102 | 15 | 180 | 20.0 |
| 68 | Texas A&M | 10 | 84 | 100 | 11 | 195 | 19.5 |
| 68 | UCF | 2 | 24 | 12 | 3 | 39 | 19.5 |
| 68 | Western Kentucky | 2 | 14 | 21 | 4 | 39 | 19.5 |
| 71 | Purdue | 9 | 51 | 103 | 21 | 175 | 19.4 |
| 72 | Arizona State | 10 | 58 | 115 | 19 | 192 | 19.2 |
| 72 | Virginia | 9 | 67 | 93 | 13 | 173 | 19.2 |
| 74 | Wisconsin | 11 | 110 | 90 | 9 | 209 | 19.0 |
| 74 | Auburn | 10 | 110 | 69 | 11 | 190 | 19.0 |
| 74 | South Alabama | 1 | 6 | 12 | 1 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 77 | UCLA | 10 | 43 | 123 | 23 | 189 | 18.9 |
| 78 | Vanderbilt | 10 | 72 | 104 | 10 | 186 | 18.6 |
| 79 | Oregon State | 10 | 94 | 75 | 15 | 184 | 18.4 |
| 80 | Stanford | 11 | 102 | 83 | 14 | 199 | 18.1 |
| 81 | Minnesota | 11 | 102 | 81 | 15 | 198 | 18.0 |
| 81 | Kansas | 9 | 71 | 77 | 14 | 162 | 18.0 |
| 81 | Colorado State | 2 | 19 | 14 | 3 | 36 | 18.0 |
| 81 | SMU | 2 | 10 | 23 | 3 | 36 | 18.0 |
| 81 | UNLV | 1 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 81 | Nevada | 1 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 81 | Ball State | 1 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 88 | Rice | 2 | 22 | 9 | 4 | 35 | 17.5 |
| 89 | Iowa | 11 | 100 | 73 | 15 | 188 | 17.1 |
| 89 | Florida | 11 | 77 | 101 | 10 | 188 | 17.1 |
| 91 | Georgia Tech | 11 | 130 | 46 | 11 | 187 | 17.0 |
| 91 | Appalachian State | 2 | 19 | 13 | 2 | 34 | 17.0 |
| 91 | Marshall | 2 | 19 | 9 | 6 | 34 | 17.0 |
| 91 | Temple | 2 | 7 | 23 | 4 | 34 | 17.0 |
| 91 | Fresno State | 1 | 2 | 12 | 3 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 96 | Maryland | 10 | 82 | 77 | 10 | 169 | 16.9 |
| 96 | South Carolina | 9 | 56 | 85 | 11 | 152 | 16.9 |
| 98 | Wake Forest | 9 | 66 | 62 | 19 | 147 | 16.3 |
| 98 | Massachusetts | 4 | 17 | 40 | 8 | 65 | 16.3 |
| 98 | Connecticut | 3 | 15 | 28 | 6 | 49 | 16.3 |
| 101 | Idaho | 2 | 10 | 19 | 3 | 32 | 16.0 |
| 101 | FIU | 2 | 9 | 19 | 4 | 32 | 16.0 |
| 101 | Wyoming | 1 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 16 | 16.0 |
| 101 | Bowling Green | 1 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 16 | 16.0 |
| 105 | Louisiana-Monroe | 2 | 12 | 18 | 1 | 31 | 15.5 |
| 105 | UTSA | 2 | 10 | 21 | 0 | 31 | 15.5 |
| 107 | Old Dominion | 1 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 15 | 15.0 |
| 108 | Rutgers | 10 | 72 | 66 | 8 | 146 | 14.6 |
| 109 | Army | 2 | 22 | 6 | 1 | 29 | 14.5 |
| 110 | Illinois | 10 | 62 | 68 | 14 | 144 | 14.4 |
| 111 | Tulane | 1 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 14 | 14.0 |
| 111 | Arkansas State | 1 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 14 | 14.0 |
| 111 | Tulsa | 1 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 14 | 14.0 |
| 114 | Florida Atlantic | 2 | 12 | 11 | 3 | 26 | 13.0 |
| 114 | Utah State | 1 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 13 | 13.0 |
| 116 | Boston College | 9 | 50 | 53 | 12 | 115 | 12.8 |
| 117 | Charlotte | 1 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 12 | 12.0 |
| 117 | Georgia State | 1 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 12.0 |
| 119 | Kent State | 2 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 21 | 10.5 |
| 120 | Akron | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 10.0 |
| 120 | UTEP | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 10.0 |
| 122 | Texas State | 1 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 8.0 |
| 122 | North Texas | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 8.0 |
| 124 | Buffalo | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 |