2017 American Athletic Conference Leaders Total Defense - Games in August/September Only through 01/08/2018
| Name | G | Rush Yards | Pass Yards | Plays | Total Yards | Yards/Play | Yards/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UCF | 3 | 251 | 677 | 195 | 928 | 4.76 | 309.3 |
| 2 | South Florida | 5 | 372 | 1097 | 353 | 1469 | 4.16 | 293.8 |
| 3 | Navy | 4 | 518 | 853 | 242 | 1371 | 5.67 | 342.8 |
| 4 | SMU | 5 | 533 | 1625 | 355 | 2158 | 6.08 | 431.6 |
| 5 | Houston | 4 | 623 | 835 | 293 | 1458 | 4.98 | 364.5 |
| 6 | Connecticut | 4 | 648 | 1519 | 319 | 2167 | 6.79 | 541.8 |
| 7 | Memphis | 4 | 769 | 1285 | 343 | 2054 | 5.99 | 513.5 |
| 8 | Tulane | 4 | 839 | 714 | 249 | 1553 | 6.24 | 388.3 |
| 9 | Temple | 5 | 997 | 1265 | 367 | 2262 | 6.16 | 452.4 |
| 10 | Cincinnati | 5 | 1189 | 817 | 361 | 2006 | 5.56 | 401.2 |
| 11 | East Carolina | 5 | 1488 | 1586 | 390 | 3074 | 7.88 | 614.8 |
| 12 | Tulsa | 5 | 1599 | 1273 | 349 | 2872 | 8.23 | 574.4 |