2017 American Athletic Conference Leaders Rushing Defense - Games vs. Ranked Teams Only (AP Poll) through 01/08/2018
| Name | G | Att | Yards | Avg. | TD | Att/G | Yards/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston | 2 | 78 | 167 | 2.14 | 7 | 39.00 | 83.50 |
| 2 | UCF | 4 | 152 | 597 | 3.93 | 8 | 38.00 | 149.25 |
| 3 | South Florida | 1 | 40 | 160 | 4.00 | 2 | 40.00 | 160.00 |
| 4 | Cincinnati | 2 | 74 | 353 | 4.77 | 4 | 37.00 | 176.50 |
| 5 | Navy | 3 | 102 | 528 | 5.18 | 4 | 34.00 | 176.00 |
| 5 | Connecticut | 3 | 120 | 621 | 5.18 | 7 | 40.00 | 207.00 |
| 7 | Temple | 3 | 147 | 864 | 5.88 | 11 | 49.00 | 288.00 |
| 8 | SMU | 3 | 131 | 790 | 6.03 | 13 | 43.67 | 263.33 |
| 9 | Memphis | 2 | 88 | 582 | 6.61 | 5 | 44.00 | 291.00 |
| 10 | East Carolina | 4 | 188 | 1248 | 6.64 | 18 | 47.00 | 312.00 |
| 11 | Tulsa | 3 | 119 | 802 | 6.74 | 6 | 39.67 | 267.33 |
| 12 | Tulane | 3 | 116 | 834 | 7.19 | 9 | 38.67 | 278.00 |