2018 National Leaders Opponent First Downs - All Games through 01/07/2019
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern Miss | 11 | 59 | 89 | 13 | 161 | 14.6 |
| 2 | Cincinnati | 13 | 64 | 102 | 34 | 200 | 15.4 |
| 3 | Army | 13 | 78 | 107 | 19 | 204 | 15.7 |
| 3 | Clemson | 15 | 97 | 116 | 22 | 235 | 15.7 |
| 5 | Miami (FL) | 13 | 107 | 80 | 18 | 205 | 15.8 |
| 5 | Michigan | 13 | 89 | 82 | 35 | 206 | 15.8 |
| 7 | Appalachian State | 13 | 91 | 98 | 19 | 208 | 16.0 |
| 8 | Mississippi State | 13 | 90 | 98 | 24 | 212 | 16.3 |
| 9 | Charlotte | 12 | 64 | 116 | 17 | 197 | 16.4 |
| 9 | Michigan State | 13 | 55 | 139 | 19 | 213 | 16.4 |
| 9 | Virginia | 13 | 92 | 109 | 12 | 213 | 16.4 |
| 12 | Iowa | 13 | 101 | 98 | 15 | 214 | 16.5 |
| 13 | San Diego State | 13 | 77 | 120 | 19 | 216 | 16.6 |
| 14 | Washington | 14 | 88 | 135 | 14 | 237 | 16.9 |
| 14 | Alabama | 15 | 93 | 131 | 29 | 253 | 16.9 |
| 16 | Texas A&M | 13 | 76 | 124 | 21 | 221 | 17.0 |
| 16 | Utah | 14 | 82 | 128 | 28 | 238 | 17.0 |
| 18 | Georgia | 14 | 99 | 121 | 20 | 240 | 17.1 |
| 19 | UAB | 14 | 92 | 107 | 43 | 242 | 17.3 |
| 20 | Air Force | 12 | 76 | 121 | 12 | 209 | 17.4 |
| 20 | Kentucky | 13 | 104 | 101 | 21 | 226 | 17.4 |
| 22 | California | 13 | 106 | 103 | 18 | 227 | 17.5 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | 13 | 98 | 108 | 24 | 230 | 17.7 |
| 24 | Florida | 13 | 105 | 99 | 27 | 231 | 17.8 |
| 24 | Boise State | 13 | 91 | 123 | 18 | 232 | 17.8 |
| 24 | Arkansas State | 13 | 119 | 88 | 25 | 232 | 17.8 |
| 24 | Fresno State | 14 | 106 | 124 | 19 | 249 | 17.8 |
| 28 | Buffalo | 14 | 128 | 107 | 17 | 252 | 18.0 |
| 29 | BYU | 13 | 98 | 120 | 19 | 237 | 18.2 |
| 29 | Minnesota | 13 | 101 | 120 | 16 | 237 | 18.2 |
| 31 | Texas State | 12 | 100 | 106 | 15 | 221 | 18.4 |
| 32 | Troy | 13 | 100 | 121 | 19 | 240 | 18.5 |
| 32 | NC State | 13 | 89 | 134 | 18 | 241 | 18.5 |
| 34 | Wyoming | 12 | 96 | 111 | 16 | 223 | 18.6 |
| 34 | Marshall | 13 | 79 | 130 | 33 | 242 | 18.6 |
| 34 | TCU | 13 | 110 | 116 | 16 | 242 | 18.6 |
| 37 | Georgia Southern | 13 | 103 | 123 | 17 | 243 | 18.7 |
| 38 | Missouri | 13 | 84 | 137 | 23 | 244 | 18.8 |
| 38 | North Texas | 13 | 87 | 136 | 22 | 245 | 18.8 |
| 38 | Eastern Michigan | 13 | 135 | 81 | 29 | 245 | 18.8 |
| 41 | Iowa State | 13 | 97 | 138 | 11 | 246 | 18.9 |
| 42 | Auburn | 13 | 95 | 122 | 30 | 247 | 19.0 |
| 43 | Louisiana Tech | 13 | 116 | 113 | 19 | 248 | 19.1 |
| 44 | Utah State | 13 | 100 | 123 | 31 | 254 | 19.5 |
| 44 | LSU | 13 | 107 | 116 | 31 | 254 | 19.5 |
| 46 | Washington State | 13 | 101 | 118 | 36 | 255 | 19.6 |
| 46 | Western Michigan | 13 | 112 | 123 | 20 | 255 | 19.6 |
| 48 | Nevada | 13 | 94 | 138 | 24 | 256 | 19.7 |
| 48 | Ohio | 13 | 100 | 138 | 18 | 256 | 19.7 |
| 48 | Middle Tennessee State | 14 | 127 | 122 | 27 | 276 | 19.7 |
| 51 | Syracuse | 13 | 103 | 133 | 22 | 258 | 19.8 |
| 51 | Northwestern | 14 | 104 | 160 | 13 | 277 | 19.8 |
| 53 | Notre Dame | 13 | 95 | 141 | 23 | 259 | 19.9 |
| 54 | Penn State | 13 | 122 | 114 | 24 | 260 | 20.0 |
| 54 | Pittsburgh | 14 | 126 | 124 | 30 | 280 | 20.0 |
| 56 | UTEP | 12 | 120 | 102 | 20 | 242 | 20.2 |
| 56 | Georgia Tech | 13 | 125 | 125 | 12 | 262 | 20.2 |
| 56 | Ohio State | 14 | 102 | 145 | 36 | 283 | 20.2 |
| 59 | East Carolina | 12 | 96 | 130 | 17 | 243 | 20.3 |
| 59 | Tennessee | 12 | 103 | 124 | 16 | 243 | 20.3 |
| 59 | Colorado | 12 | 99 | 117 | 28 | 244 | 20.3 |
| 59 | Virginia Tech | 13 | 122 | 120 | 22 | 264 | 20.3 |
| 63 | Central Michigan | 12 | 123 | 93 | 29 | 245 | 20.4 |
| 63 | Northern Illinois | 14 | 88 | 161 | 37 | 286 | 20.4 |
| 65 | USC | 12 | 94 | 128 | 24 | 246 | 20.5 |
| 65 | Baylor | 13 | 116 | 127 | 24 | 267 | 20.5 |
| 67 | Texas | 14 | 104 | 158 | 27 | 289 | 20.6 |
| 68 | Miami (OH) | 12 | 110 | 113 | 25 | 248 | 20.7 |
| 69 | Navy | 13 | 123 | 138 | 9 | 270 | 20.8 |
| 70 | Oregon | 13 | 102 | 147 | 23 | 272 | 20.9 |
| 70 | Stanford | 13 | 103 | 154 | 15 | 272 | 20.9 |
| 70 | Duke | 13 | 134 | 124 | 14 | 272 | 20.9 |
| 73 | UTSA | 12 | 100 | 139 | 13 | 252 | 21.0 |
| 73 | Georgia State | 12 | 113 | 124 | 15 | 252 | 21.0 |
| 75 | Kansas State | 12 | 99 | 139 | 16 | 254 | 21.2 |
| 75 | Rutgers | 12 | 115 | 112 | 27 | 254 | 21.2 |
| 75 | Hawaii | 14 | 138 | 142 | 17 | 297 | 21.2 |
| 78 | Akron | 12 | 127 | 111 | 18 | 256 | 21.3 |
| 79 | Boston College | 12 | 103 | 135 | 19 | 257 | 21.4 |
| 79 | UNLV | 12 | 114 | 133 | 10 | 257 | 21.4 |
| 81 | Maryland | 12 | 123 | 102 | 33 | 258 | 21.5 |
| 81 | Tulsa | 12 | 135 | 95 | 28 | 258 | 21.5 |
| 81 | Tulane | 13 | 106 | 145 | 29 | 280 | 21.5 |
| 81 | Rice | 13 | 107 | 156 | 17 | 280 | 21.5 |
| 85 | Arkansas | 12 | 116 | 119 | 24 | 259 | 21.6 |
| 85 | Coastal Carolina | 12 | 136 | 107 | 16 | 259 | 21.6 |
| 87 | Western Kentucky | 12 | 112 | 127 | 22 | 261 | 21.8 |
| 87 | Florida State | 12 | 102 | 135 | 25 | 262 | 21.8 |
| 87 | West Virginia | 12 | 112 | 131 | 19 | 262 | 21.8 |
| 90 | Kansas | 12 | 118 | 128 | 17 | 263 | 21.9 |
| 91 | Colorado State | 12 | 133 | 115 | 17 | 265 | 22.1 |
| 91 | Toledo | 13 | 116 | 140 | 31 | 287 | 22.1 |
| 93 | Memphis | 14 | 128 | 155 | 28 | 311 | 22.2 |
| 94 | Kent State | 12 | 117 | 122 | 28 | 267 | 22.3 |
| 94 | Wake Forest | 13 | 120 | 149 | 21 | 290 | 22.3 |
| 96 | South Alabama | 12 | 113 | 123 | 33 | 269 | 22.4 |
| 96 | Louisiana-Monroe | 12 | 116 | 130 | 23 | 269 | 22.4 |
| 98 | Arizona State | 13 | 129 | 137 | 26 | 292 | 22.5 |
| 98 | FIU | 13 | 147 | 116 | 29 | 292 | 22.5 |
| 100 | North Carolina | 11 | 118 | 110 | 21 | 249 | 22.6 |
| 100 | Louisiana | 14 | 160 | 134 | 22 | 316 | 22.6 |
| 102 | Nebraska | 12 | 114 | 129 | 29 | 272 | 22.7 |
| 102 | Indiana | 12 | 115 | 129 | 28 | 272 | 22.7 |
| 104 | Temple | 13 | 142 | 116 | 39 | 297 | 22.8 |
| 105 | Florida Atlantic | 12 | 112 | 142 | 22 | 276 | 23.0 |
| 106 | Texas Tech | 12 | 107 | 142 | 28 | 277 | 23.1 |
| 107 | Oklahoma State | 13 | 108 | 156 | 37 | 301 | 23.2 |
| 107 | USF | 13 | 160 | 117 | 25 | 302 | 23.2 |
| 109 | Bowling Green | 12 | 175 | 78 | 26 | 279 | 23.3 |
| 109 | SMU | 12 | 132 | 129 | 19 | 280 | 23.3 |
| 109 | Louisville | 12 | 152 | 109 | 19 | 280 | 23.3 |
| 112 | UCLA | 12 | 121 | 135 | 25 | 281 | 23.4 |
| 112 | Vanderbilt | 13 | 150 | 137 | 17 | 304 | 23.4 |
| 114 | Purdue | 13 | 118 | 163 | 26 | 307 | 23.6 |
| 114 | UCF | 13 | 160 | 122 | 25 | 307 | 23.6 |
| 116 | Arizona | 12 | 102 | 146 | 36 | 284 | 23.7 |
| 116 | New Mexico | 12 | 134 | 129 | 21 | 284 | 23.7 |
| 118 | Massachusetts | 12 | 166 | 103 | 18 | 287 | 23.9 |
| 119 | San Jose State | 12 | 129 | 138 | 22 | 289 | 24.1 |
| 119 | Liberty | 12 | 140 | 135 | 14 | 289 | 24.1 |
| 121 | Old Dominion | 12 | 121 | 143 | 27 | 291 | 24.3 |
| 122 | Oklahoma | 14 | 134 | 181 | 27 | 342 | 24.4 |
| 123 | Ball State | 12 | 146 | 125 | 25 | 296 | 24.7 |
| 123 | New Mexico State | 12 | 166 | 113 | 17 | 296 | 24.7 |
| 125 | Illinois | 12 | 147 | 131 | 23 | 301 | 25.1 |
| 126 | Ole Miss | 12 | 144 | 130 | 30 | 304 | 25.3 |
| 127 | South Carolina | 13 | 152 | 151 | 27 | 330 | 25.4 |
| 128 | Oregon State | 12 | 155 | 133 | 18 | 306 | 25.5 |
| 129 | Houston | 13 | 152 | 161 | 22 | 335 | 25.8 |
| 130 | Connecticut | 12 | 179 | 134 | 12 | 325 | 27.1 |