2018 American Athletic Conference Leaders First Downs - Games vs. Ranked Teams Only (AP Poll) through 01/07/2019
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMU | 3 | 10 | 33 | 13 | 56 | 18.7 |
| 2 | Temple | 2 | 15 | 32 | 4 | 51 | 25.5 |
| 3 | Connecticut | 4 | 34 | 26 | 11 | 71 | 17.8 |
| 4 | East Carolina | 2 | 12 | 25 | 4 | 41 | 20.5 |
| 5 | Memphis | 2 | 28 | 19 | 3 | 50 | 25.0 |
| 6 | UCF | 2 | 14 | 16 | 5 | 35 | 17.5 |
| 7 | South Florida | 2 | 15 | 13 | 2 | 30 | 15.0 |
| 7 | Tulane | 2 | 12 | 13 | 3 | 28 | 14.0 |
| 9 | Houston | 1 | 10 | 11 | 2 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 10 | Navy | 4 | 44 | 8 | 6 | 58 | 14.5 |
| 11 | Tulsa | 1 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 12 | Cincinnati | 1 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 |