2017 Mid-American Conference Leaders First Downs - Games vs. FBS (I-A) Teams Only through 01/08/2018
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toledo | 13 | 122 | 153 | 22 | 297 | 22.8 |
| 2 | Ohio | 12 | 134 | 98 | 35 | 267 | 22.3 |
| 3 | Eastern Michigan | 12 | 84 | 140 | 19 | 243 | 20.3 |
| 4 | Northern Illinois | 12 | 114 | 102 | 21 | 237 | 19.8 |
| 5 | Miami (Ohio) | 11 | 76 | 129 | 25 | 230 | 20.9 |
| 6 | Akron | 13 | 75 | 127 | 27 | 229 | 17.6 |
| 7 | Western Michigan | 11 | 125 | 88 | 14 | 227 | 20.6 |
| 8 | Buffalo | 11 | 62 | 138 | 25 | 225 | 20.5 |
| 9 | Central Michigan | 12 | 71 | 117 | 26 | 214 | 17.8 |
| 10 | Bowling Green | 11 | 87 | 104 | 18 | 209 | 19.0 |
| 11 | Ball State | 11 | 98 | 93 | 14 | 205 | 18.6 |
| 12 | Kent State | 11 | 87 | 52 | 13 | 152 | 13.8 |