2017 National Leaders First Downs - Games vs. Conference Teams Only through 01/08/2018
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma State | 9 | 81 | 151 | 22 | 254 | 28.2 |
| 2 | Memphis | 9 | 81 | 140 | 23 | 244 | 27.1 |
| 3 | Arkansas State | 8 | 76 | 118 | 20 | 214 | 26.8 |
| 4 | Louisville | 8 | 101 | 102 | 9 | 212 | 26.5 |
| 5 | Florida Atlantic | 9 | 141 | 78 | 13 | 232 | 25.8 |
| 6 | UCF | 9 | 86 | 121 | 24 | 231 | 25.7 |
| 7 | Ohio State | 10 | 122 | 108 | 26 | 256 | 25.6 |
| 8 | Air Force | 8 | 157 | 33 | 14 | 204 | 25.5 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 10 | 104 | 136 | 11 | 251 | 25.1 |
| 10 | USC | 10 | 106 | 131 | 12 | 249 | 24.9 |
| 10 | North Texas | 9 | 92 | 117 | 15 | 224 | 24.9 |
| 10 | Colorado State | 8 | 85 | 104 | 10 | 199 | 24.9 |
| 10 | Western Kentucky | 8 | 55 | 130 | 14 | 199 | 24.9 |
| 14 | SMU | 8 | 69 | 109 | 19 | 197 | 24.6 |
| 15 | East Carolina | 8 | 52 | 124 | 20 | 196 | 24.5 |
| 16 | USF | 8 | 104 | 78 | 12 | 194 | 24.3 |
| 17 | Syracuse | 8 | 75 | 101 | 16 | 192 | 24.0 |
| 18 | Arizona | 9 | 122 | 63 | 30 | 215 | 23.9 |
| 19 | Penn State | 9 | 72 | 122 | 20 | 214 | 23.8 |
| 20 | West Virginia | 9 | 76 | 112 | 25 | 213 | 23.7 |
| 21 | NC State | 8 | 78 | 93 | 17 | 188 | 23.5 |
| 22 | Texas Tech | 9 | 78 | 114 | 19 | 211 | 23.4 |
| 23 | Louisiana-Monroe | 8 | 75 | 100 | 11 | 186 | 23.3 |
| 24 | Alabama | 9 | 116 | 79 | 14 | 209 | 23.2 |
| 24 | Toledo | 9 | 93 | 104 | 12 | 209 | 23.2 |
| 26 | Middle Tennessee State | 8 | 71 | 94 | 20 | 185 | 23.1 |
| 26 | New Mexico State | 8 | 53 | 120 | 12 | 185 | 23.1 |
| 28 | Utah | 9 | 90 | 93 | 23 | 206 | 22.9 |
| 28 | UCLA | 9 | 75 | 114 | 17 | 206 | 22.9 |
| 28 | Missouri | 8 | 90 | 80 | 13 | 183 | 22.9 |
| 31 | Northwestern | 9 | 85 | 106 | 14 | 205 | 22.8 |
| 32 | Washington State | 9 | 40 | 146 | 17 | 203 | 22.6 |
| 33 | Colorado | 9 | 99 | 89 | 13 | 201 | 22.3 |
| 33 | California | 9 | 73 | 105 | 23 | 201 | 22.3 |
| 33 | Louisiana Tech | 8 | 77 | 85 | 16 | 178 | 22.3 |
| 36 | Southern Miss | 8 | 80 | 85 | 12 | 177 | 22.1 |
| 36 | Connecticut | 8 | 61 | 93 | 23 | 177 | 22.1 |
| 38 | Arizona State | 9 | 103 | 80 | 13 | 196 | 21.8 |
| 39 | Auburn | 9 | 106 | 71 | 18 | 195 | 21.7 |
| 40 | Washington | 9 | 92 | 85 | 17 | 194 | 21.6 |
| 40 | Baylor | 9 | 60 | 117 | 17 | 194 | 21.6 |
| 40 | Ohio | 8 | 92 | 57 | 24 | 173 | 21.6 |
| 40 | Buffalo | 8 | 48 | 105 | 20 | 173 | 21.6 |
| 44 | San Diego State | 8 | 96 | 60 | 16 | 172 | 21.5 |
| 44 | Western Michigan | 8 | 93 | 69 | 10 | 172 | 21.5 |
| 44 | Miami (OH) | 8 | 58 | 94 | 20 | 172 | 21.5 |
| 47 | Navy | 8 | 140 | 21 | 10 | 171 | 21.4 |
| 47 | Northern Illinois | 8 | 88 | 71 | 12 | 171 | 21.4 |
| 49 | Mississippi State | 8 | 100 | 57 | 13 | 170 | 21.3 |
| 49 | Houston | 8 | 74 | 85 | 11 | 170 | 21.3 |
| 51 | Tulane | 8 | 99 | 60 | 10 | 169 | 21.1 |
| 51 | UNLV | 8 | 93 | 67 | 9 | 169 | 21.1 |
| 51 | Marshall | 8 | 61 | 88 | 20 | 169 | 21.1 |
| 54 | Clemson | 9 | 90 | 91 | 8 | 189 | 21.0 |
| 54 | Boise State | 9 | 72 | 103 | 14 | 189 | 21.0 |
| 54 | Appalachian State | 8 | 86 | 69 | 13 | 168 | 21.0 |
| 54 | Texas State | 8 | 71 | 82 | 15 | 168 | 21.0 |
| 58 | Indiana | 9 | 52 | 113 | 23 | 188 | 20.9 |
| 59 | Louisiana | 8 | 78 | 79 | 9 | 166 | 20.8 |
| 59 | Cincinnati | 8 | 67 | 88 | 11 | 166 | 20.8 |
| 61 | Georgia | 10 | 117 | 77 | 12 | 206 | 20.6 |
| 61 | Bowling Green | 8 | 75 | 73 | 17 | 165 | 20.6 |
| 63 | Eastern Michigan | 8 | 63 | 87 | 14 | 164 | 20.5 |
| 63 | Temple | 8 | 58 | 91 | 15 | 164 | 20.5 |
| 65 | Michigan State | 9 | 71 | 93 | 20 | 184 | 20.4 |
| 66 | Iowa State | 9 | 53 | 103 | 27 | 183 | 20.3 |
| 66 | Duke | 8 | 77 | 74 | 11 | 162 | 20.3 |
| 66 | UTSA | 8 | 67 | 79 | 16 | 162 | 20.3 |
| 69 | FIU | 8 | 58 | 94 | 9 | 161 | 20.1 |
| 69 | Georgia State | 8 | 55 | 97 | 9 | 161 | 20.1 |
| 71 | Oregon | 9 | 110 | 50 | 20 | 180 | 20.0 |
| 71 | Troy | 8 | 53 | 93 | 14 | 160 | 20.0 |
| 73 | TCU | 10 | 84 | 95 | 20 | 199 | 19.9 |
| 73 | Purdue | 9 | 72 | 89 | 18 | 179 | 19.9 |
| 73 | Hawaii | 8 | 69 | 78 | 12 | 159 | 19.9 |
| 73 | Wake Forest | 8 | 66 | 86 | 7 | 159 | 19.9 |
| 73 | Ole Miss | 8 | 62 | 86 | 11 | 159 | 19.9 |
| 73 | Nevada | 8 | 52 | 93 | 14 | 159 | 19.9 |
| 79 | UAB | 8 | 81 | 63 | 14 | 158 | 19.8 |
| 79 | Vanderbilt | 8 | 45 | 97 | 16 | 158 | 19.8 |
| 81 | Tulsa | 8 | 91 | 46 | 20 | 157 | 19.6 |
| 82 | Boston College | 8 | 84 | 64 | 8 | 156 | 19.5 |
| 83 | Georgia Southern | 8 | 108 | 39 | 8 | 155 | 19.4 |
| 83 | Kentucky | 8 | 71 | 70 | 14 | 155 | 19.4 |
| 83 | Utah State | 8 | 67 | 79 | 9 | 155 | 19.4 |
| 83 | Virginia Tech | 8 | 63 | 81 | 11 | 155 | 19.4 |
| 87 | Texas | 9 | 69 | 94 | 11 | 174 | 19.3 |
| 87 | Nebraska | 9 | 51 | 108 | 15 | 174 | 19.3 |
| 89 | Oregon State | 9 | 78 | 72 | 23 | 173 | 19.2 |
| 90 | Wisconsin | 10 | 95 | 82 | 13 | 190 | 19.0 |
| 90 | Georgia Tech | 8 | 120 | 22 | 10 | 152 | 19.0 |
| 90 | LSU | 8 | 76 | 63 | 13 | 152 | 19.0 |
| 93 | Old Dominion | 8 | 65 | 74 | 11 | 150 | 18.8 |
| 93 | South Carolina | 8 | 58 | 80 | 12 | 150 | 18.8 |
| 95 | Arkansas | 8 | 63 | 72 | 14 | 149 | 18.6 |
| 96 | Idaho | 8 | 51 | 84 | 13 | 148 | 18.5 |
| 97 | Fresno State | 9 | 83 | 76 | 7 | 166 | 18.4 |
| 97 | Rice | 8 | 89 | 50 | 8 | 147 | 18.4 |
| 97 | Pittsburgh | 8 | 67 | 70 | 10 | 147 | 18.4 |
| 100 | Akron | 9 | 55 | 92 | 17 | 164 | 18.2 |
| 101 | Massachusetts | 1 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 102 | Miami (FL) | 9 | 60 | 90 | 11 | 161 | 17.9 |
| 102 | Ball State | 8 | 74 | 59 | 10 | 143 | 17.9 |
| 104 | Coastal Carolina | 8 | 62 | 70 | 10 | 142 | 17.8 |
| 104 | South Alabama | 8 | 44 | 88 | 10 | 142 | 17.8 |
| 106 | Stanford | 10 | 76 | 80 | 20 | 176 | 17.6 |
| 106 | Michigan | 9 | 82 | 64 | 12 | 158 | 17.6 |
| 106 | Virginia | 8 | 44 | 79 | 18 | 141 | 17.6 |
| 109 | North Carolina | 8 | 42 | 85 | 12 | 139 | 17.4 |
| 110 | San Jose State | 8 | 58 | 64 | 14 | 136 | 17.0 |
| 110 | BYU | 1 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 112 | Florida | 8 | 60 | 65 | 9 | 134 | 16.8 |
| 113 | New Mexico | 8 | 90 | 33 | 10 | 133 | 16.6 |
| 113 | Florida State | 8 | 61 | 62 | 10 | 133 | 16.6 |
| 115 | Central Michigan | 8 | 47 | 68 | 15 | 130 | 16.3 |
| 116 | Kansas State | 9 | 74 | 62 | 10 | 146 | 16.2 |
| 117 | Maryland | 9 | 63 | 61 | 18 | 142 | 15.8 |
| 117 | Texas A&M | 8 | 46 | 65 | 15 | 126 | 15.8 |
| 119 | Iowa | 9 | 61 | 70 | 9 | 140 | 15.6 |
| 120 | Tennessee | 8 | 49 | 58 | 16 | 123 | 15.4 |
| 121 | Kent State | 8 | 65 | 47 | 10 | 122 | 15.3 |
| 122 | Minnesota | 9 | 84 | 42 | 11 | 137 | 15.2 |
| 123 | Wyoming | 8 | 52 | 58 | 11 | 121 | 15.1 |
| 124 | Illinois | 9 | 52 | 62 | 12 | 126 | 14.0 |
| 125 | Kansas | 9 | 50 | 64 | 11 | 125 | 13.9 |
| 126 | Charlotte | 8 | 50 | 45 | 9 | 104 | 13.0 |
| 127 | Rutgers | 9 | 58 | 37 | 11 | 106 | 11.8 |
| 128 | UTEP | 8 | 44 | 40 | 8 | 92 | 11.5 |