2017 National Leaders First Downs - Games in December/January Only through 01/08/2018
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas State | 2 | 18 | 38 | 6 | 62 | 31.0 |
| 2 | North Texas | 2 | 7 | 36 | 5 | 48 | 24.0 |
| 3 | Memphis | 2 | 14 | 32 | 3 | 49 | 24.5 |
| 3 | New Mexico State | 2 | 9 | 32 | 1 | 42 | 21.0 |
| 5 | UCF | 2 | 18 | 29 | 5 | 52 | 26.0 |
| 5 | Georgia | 3 | 27 | 29 | 7 | 63 | 21.0 |
| 7 | Boise State | 2 | 14 | 27 | 6 | 47 | 23.5 |
| 7 | TCU | 2 | 13 | 27 | 1 | 41 | 20.5 |
| 9 | USC | 2 | 14 | 26 | 5 | 45 | 22.5 |
| 10 | Georgia State | 2 | 19 | 25 | 3 | 47 | 23.5 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | 2 | 12 | 25 | 3 | 40 | 20.0 |
| 10 | Troy | 2 | 5 | 25 | 5 | 35 | 17.5 |
| 13 | Texas A&M | 1 | 6 | 24 | 2 | 32 | 32.0 |
| 13 | Florida State | 2 | 26 | 24 | 1 | 51 | 25.5 |
| 13 | Auburn | 2 | 17 | 24 | 5 | 46 | 23.0 |
| 13 | Fresno State | 2 | 16 | 24 | 5 | 45 | 22.5 |
| 17 | FIU | 2 | 16 | 23 | 7 | 46 | 23.0 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | 2 | 21 | 21 | 4 | 46 | 23.0 |
| 18 | Clemson | 2 | 11 | 21 | 0 | 32 | 16.0 |
| 20 | Toledo | 2 | 13 | 20 | 1 | 34 | 17.0 |
| 21 | Texas Tech | 1 | 6 | 19 | 1 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 21 | Florida Atlantic | 2 | 28 | 19 | 4 | 51 | 25.5 |
| 23 | Wake Forest | 1 | 10 | 18 | 3 | 31 | 31.0 |
| 23 | Penn State | 1 | 6 | 18 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 25 | Massachusetts | 1 | 8 | 17 | 1 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 25 | South Alabama | 1 | 3 | 17 | 1 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 27 | Oklahoma State | 1 | 7 | 16 | 1 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 28 | Purdue | 1 | 11 | 15 | 1 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 28 | Colorado State | 1 | 6 | 15 | 5 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 28 | Appalachian State | 2 | 33 | 15 | 2 | 50 | 25.0 |
| 28 | Arizona State | 1 | 8 | 15 | 1 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 28 | Iowa State | 1 | 5 | 15 | 2 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 28 | Stanford | 2 | 17 | 15 | 3 | 35 | 17.5 |
| 28 | Akron | 2 | 11 | 15 | 5 | 31 | 15.5 |
| 35 | Louisiana-Monroe | 1 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 35 | Western Kentucky | 1 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 37 | Duke | 1 | 14 | 13 | 0 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 37 | NC State | 1 | 9 | 13 | 1 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 37 | Alabama | 2 | 19 | 13 | 4 | 36 | 18.0 |
| 37 | Houston | 1 | 3 | 13 | 1 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 37 | Washington State | 1 | 2 | 13 | 2 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 42 | Virginia Tech | 1 | 18 | 12 | 1 | 31 | 31.0 |
| 42 | USF | 1 | 11 | 12 | 4 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 42 | Utah State | 1 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 42 | Arizona | 1 | 5 | 12 | 2 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 42 | Central Michigan | 1 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 42 | Kentucky | 1 | 3 | 12 | 2 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 42 | Boston College | 1 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 16 | 16.0 |
| 49 | LSU | 1 | 10 | 11 | 0 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 49 | Temple | 1 | 7 | 11 | 2 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 49 | UAB | 1 | 5 | 11 | 4 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 49 | Idaho | 1 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 49 | Michigan | 1 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 49 | Miami (FL) | 2 | 15 | 11 | 1 | 27 | 13.5 |
| 55 | Marshall | 1 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 55 | Middle Tennessee State | 1 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 55 | Missouri | 1 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 55 | Ohio State | 2 | 15 | 10 | 4 | 29 | 14.5 |
| 55 | Oregon | 1 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 14 | 14.0 |
| 55 | South Carolina | 1 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 13 | 13.0 |
| 61 | Michigan State | 1 | 15 | 9 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 61 | Ohio | 1 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 61 | Louisville | 1 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 61 | UCLA | 1 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 14 | 14.0 |
| 65 | Louisiana Tech | 1 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 65 | Wyoming | 1 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 15 | 15.0 |
| 65 | Washington | 1 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 14 | 14.0 |
| 68 | Utah | 1 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 68 | Louisiana | 1 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 68 | Notre Dame | 1 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 68 | Texas | 1 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 68 | Southern Miss | 1 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 12 | 12.0 |
| 68 | Virginia | 1 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 11.0 |
| 74 | SMU | 1 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 74 | Coastal Carolina | 1 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 74 | Northern Illinois | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 13 | 13.0 |
| 77 | Northwestern | 1 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 77 | Georgia Southern | 1 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 16 | 16.0 |
| 77 | Iowa | 1 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 13 | 13.0 |
| 77 | West Virginia | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 6.0 |
| 81 | Mississippi State | 1 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 81 | Kansas State | 1 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 83 | San Diego State | 1 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 11.0 |
| 84 | Army | 2 | 41 | 2 | 3 | 46 | 23.0 |
| 85 | Navy | 2 | 34 | 0 | 2 | 36 | 18.0 |