2017 American Athletic Conference Leaders First Downs - Games vs. Unranked Teams Only (AP Poll) through 01/08/2018
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Memphis | 11 | 88 | 156 | 26 | 270 | 24.5 |
| 2 | East Carolina | 8 | 49 | 130 | 22 | 201 | 25.1 |
| 3 | Temple | 10 | 73 | 127 | 20 | 220 | 22.0 |
| 4 | SMU | 10 | 98 | 126 | 20 | 244 | 24.4 |
| 5 | Houston | 10 | 77 | 118 | 16 | 211 | 21.1 |
| 6 | UCF | 9 | 76 | 114 | 26 | 216 | 24.0 |
| 7 | South Florida | 11 | 156 | 104 | 22 | 282 | 25.6 |
| 8 | Cincinnati | 10 | 79 | 98 | 17 | 194 | 19.4 |
| 9 | Connecticut | 9 | 70 | 95 | 22 | 187 | 20.8 |
| 10 | Tulane | 9 | 114 | 61 | 14 | 189 | 21.0 |
| 11 | Tulsa | 9 | 118 | 53 | 24 | 195 | 21.7 |
| 12 | Navy | 10 | 181 | 22 | 11 | 214 | 21.4 |