2017 American Athletic Conference Leaders Rushing Defense - Games vs. Conference Teams Only through 01/08/2018
| Name | G | Att | Yards | Avg. | TD | Att/G | Yards/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Temple | 8 | 335 | 1411 | 4.21 | 9 | 41.88 | 176.38 |
| 2 | Navy | 8 | 270 | 1215 | 4.50 | 11 | 33.75 | 151.88 |
| 3 | UCF | 9 | 347 | 1669 | 4.81 | 12 | 38.56 | 185.44 |
| 4 | South Florida | 8 | 333 | 1122 | 3.37 | 13 | 41.63 | 140.25 |
| 5 | Houston | 8 | 325 | 1163 | 3.58 | 15 | 40.63 | 145.38 |
| 6 | Cincinnati | 8 | 353 | 1689 | 4.78 | 16 | 44.13 | 211.13 |
| 7 | Connecticut | 8 | 307 | 1456 | 4.74 | 17 | 38.38 | 182.00 |
| 8 | Tulane | 8 | 297 | 1662 | 5.60 | 19 | 37.13 | 207.75 |
| 9 | Memphis | 9 | 405 | 1943 | 4.80 | 20 | 45.00 | 215.89 |
| 10 | Tulsa | 8 | 373 | 2002 | 5.37 | 22 | 46.63 | 250.25 |
| 11 | East Carolina | 8 | 319 | 1936 | 6.07 | 26 | 39.88 | 242.00 |
| 11 | SMU | 8 | 368 | 2018 | 5.48 | 26 | 46.00 | 252.25 |