2017 American Athletic Conference Leaders Total Defense - Games vs. Ranked Teams Only (AP Poll) through 01/08/2018
| Name | G | Rush Yards | Pass Yards | Plays | Total Yards | Yards/Play | Yards/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Florida | 1 | 160 | 373 | 84 | 533 | 6.35 | 533.0 |
| 2 | Cincinnati | 2 | 353 | 564 | 123 | 917 | 7.46 | 458.5 |
| 3 | Memphis | 2 | 582 | 747 | 159 | 1329 | 8.36 | 664.5 |
| 4 | Houston | 2 | 167 | 796 | 169 | 963 | 5.70 | 481.5 |
| 5 | Navy | 3 | 528 | 679 | 184 | 1207 | 6.56 | 402.3 |
| 6 | Tulane | 3 | 834 | 859 | 201 | 1693 | 8.42 | 564.3 |
| 7 | Tulsa | 3 | 802 | 783 | 213 | 1585 | 7.44 | 528.3 |
| 8 | Temple | 3 | 864 | 534 | 225 | 1398 | 6.21 | 466.0 |
| 9 | SMU | 3 | 790 | 1108 | 229 | 1898 | 8.29 | 632.7 |
| 10 | Connecticut | 3 | 621 | 1211 | 250 | 1832 | 7.33 | 610.7 |
| 11 | East Carolina | 4 | 1248 | 1240 | 288 | 2488 | 8.64 | 622.0 |
| 12 | UCF | 4 | 597 | 1626 | 333 | 2223 | 6.68 | 555.8 |