2018 National Leaders First Downs - Games in August/September Only through 01/07/2019
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Penn State | 5 | 63 | 44 | 19 | 126 | 25.2 |
| 2 | Coastal Carolina | 5 | 66 | 39 | 18 | 123 | 24.6 |
| 2 | LSU | 5 | 54 | 39 | 18 | 111 | 22.2 |
| 4 | Arizona | 5 | 52 | 59 | 16 | 127 | 25.4 |
| 4 | Connecticut | 5 | 50 | 37 | 16 | 103 | 20.6 |
| 4 | Buffalo | 5 | 32 | 51 | 16 | 99 | 19.8 |
| 4 | New Mexico State | 5 | 29 | 38 | 16 | 83 | 16.6 |
| 8 | Western Michigan | 5 | 48 | 65 | 15 | 128 | 25.6 |
| 8 | Indiana | 5 | 46 | 59 | 15 | 120 | 24.0 |
| 8 | Old Dominion | 5 | 25 | 58 | 15 | 98 | 19.6 |
| 11 | Texas Tech | 5 | 52 | 96 | 14 | 162 | 32.4 |
| 11 | UCF | 4 | 58 | 51 | 14 | 123 | 30.8 |
| 11 | Ohio State | 5 | 59 | 76 | 14 | 149 | 29.8 |
| 11 | Hawaii | 6 | 49 | 92 | 14 | 155 | 25.8 |
| 11 | Liberty | 4 | 28 | 54 | 14 | 96 | 24.0 |
| 11 | Northwestern | 4 | 24 | 53 | 14 | 91 | 22.8 |
| 17 | Washington State | 5 | 18 | 100 | 13 | 131 | 26.2 |
| 17 | East Carolina | 4 | 31 | 59 | 13 | 103 | 25.8 |
| 19 | Texas A&M | 5 | 62 | 69 | 12 | 143 | 28.6 |
| 19 | Wake Forest | 5 | 66 | 60 | 12 | 138 | 27.6 |
| 19 | Ohio | 4 | 40 | 42 | 12 | 94 | 23.5 |
| 19 | Colorado State | 5 | 36 | 69 | 12 | 117 | 23.4 |
| 19 | Bowling Green | 5 | 36 | 66 | 12 | 114 | 22.8 |
| 19 | Vanderbilt | 5 | 41 | 59 | 12 | 112 | 22.4 |
| 19 | Charlotte | 5 | 44 | 44 | 12 | 100 | 20.0 |
| 19 | USC | 5 | 38 | 50 | 12 | 100 | 20.0 |
| 27 | North Texas | 5 | 41 | 80 | 11 | 132 | 26.4 |
| 27 | Louisiana Tech | 4 | 33 | 50 | 11 | 94 | 23.5 |
| 27 | Auburn | 5 | 48 | 45 | 11 | 104 | 20.8 |
| 27 | Eastern Michigan | 5 | 31 | 56 | 11 | 98 | 19.6 |
| 27 | Tennessee | 5 | 43 | 37 | 11 | 91 | 18.2 |
| 27 | Rutgers | 5 | 33 | 38 | 11 | 82 | 16.4 |
| 27 | South Alabama | 5 | 30 | 37 | 11 | 78 | 15.6 |
| 34 | Missouri | 4 | 41 | 65 | 10 | 116 | 29.0 |
| 34 | Ball State | 5 | 56 | 63 | 10 | 129 | 25.8 |
| 34 | Notre Dame | 5 | 58 | 54 | 10 | 122 | 24.4 |
| 34 | Washington | 5 | 44 | 65 | 10 | 119 | 23.8 |
| 34 | Kent State | 5 | 52 | 53 | 10 | 115 | 23.0 |
| 34 | California | 4 | 45 | 35 | 10 | 90 | 22.5 |
| 34 | Nebraska | 4 | 44 | 36 | 10 | 90 | 22.5 |
| 34 | Georgia Tech | 5 | 81 | 21 | 10 | 112 | 22.4 |
| 34 | Kentucky | 5 | 66 | 36 | 10 | 112 | 22.4 |
| 34 | Louisville | 5 | 38 | 45 | 10 | 93 | 18.6 |
| 34 | SMU | 5 | 38 | 43 | 10 | 91 | 18.2 |
| 34 | Kansas State | 5 | 39 | 39 | 10 | 88 | 17.6 |
| 34 | Kansas | 5 | 37 | 41 | 10 | 88 | 17.6 |
| 47 | Baylor | 5 | 51 | 68 | 9 | 128 | 25.6 |
| 47 | Alabama | 5 | 51 | 64 | 9 | 124 | 24.8 |
| 47 | Oregon | 5 | 54 | 58 | 9 | 121 | 24.2 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | 5 | 49 | 60 | 9 | 118 | 23.6 |
| 47 | Arizona State | 5 | 50 | 54 | 9 | 113 | 22.6 |
| 47 | Illinois | 4 | 43 | 37 | 9 | 89 | 22.3 |
| 47 | Minnesota | 4 | 41 | 38 | 9 | 88 | 22.0 |
| 47 | Michigan State | 4 | 31 | 48 | 9 | 88 | 22.0 |
| 47 | Purdue | 5 | 39 | 61 | 9 | 109 | 21.8 |
| 47 | FIU | 5 | 49 | 46 | 9 | 104 | 20.8 |
| 47 | Troy | 5 | 46 | 49 | 9 | 104 | 20.8 |
| 47 | Georgia State | 5 | 40 | 50 | 9 | 99 | 19.8 |
| 47 | Utah | 4 | 32 | 36 | 9 | 77 | 19.3 |
| 47 | San Jose State | 4 | 15 | 52 | 9 | 76 | 19.0 |
| 47 | Texas State | 4 | 35 | 31 | 9 | 75 | 18.8 |
| 47 | Akron | 3 | 23 | 24 | 9 | 56 | 18.7 |
| 47 | Maryland | 4 | 46 | 16 | 9 | 71 | 17.8 |
| 47 | Arkansas | 5 | 34 | 43 | 9 | 86 | 17.2 |
| 47 | Miami (OH) | 5 | 25 | 47 | 9 | 81 | 16.2 |
| 47 | Stanford | 5 | 17 | 50 | 9 | 76 | 15.2 |
| 47 | Central Michigan | 5 | 29 | 31 | 9 | 69 | 13.8 |
| 68 | Houston | 4 | 49 | 58 | 8 | 115 | 28.8 |
| 68 | Oklahoma State | 5 | 52 | 67 | 8 | 127 | 25.4 |
| 68 | UAB | 4 | 53 | 40 | 8 | 101 | 25.3 |
| 68 | Appalachian State | 4 | 48 | 43 | 8 | 99 | 24.8 |
| 68 | Memphis | 5 | 46 | 63 | 8 | 117 | 23.4 |
| 68 | Boston College | 5 | 59 | 47 | 8 | 114 | 22.8 |
| 68 | Texas | 5 | 45 | 58 | 8 | 111 | 22.2 |
| 68 | Western Kentucky | 5 | 41 | 55 | 8 | 104 | 20.8 |
| 68 | Massachusetts | 6 | 41 | 75 | 8 | 124 | 20.7 |
| 68 | Michigan | 5 | 48 | 45 | 8 | 101 | 20.2 |
| 68 | Iowa | 4 | 31 | 39 | 8 | 78 | 19.5 |
| 68 | Florida | 5 | 41 | 48 | 8 | 97 | 19.4 |
| 68 | Rice | 5 | 43 | 45 | 8 | 96 | 19.2 |
| 68 | Tulane | 5 | 47 | 40 | 8 | 95 | 19.0 |
| 68 | Wyoming | 5 | 37 | 37 | 8 | 82 | 16.4 |
| 83 | West Virginia | 4 | 28 | 66 | 7 | 101 | 25.3 |
| 83 | NC State | 4 | 25 | 66 | 7 | 98 | 24.5 |
| 83 | Utah State | 4 | 31 | 59 | 7 | 97 | 24.3 |
| 83 | Florida Atlantic | 5 | 60 | 52 | 7 | 119 | 23.8 |
| 83 | New Mexico | 4 | 48 | 37 | 7 | 92 | 23.0 |
| 83 | UNLV | 4 | 63 | 19 | 7 | 89 | 22.3 |
| 83 | Air Force | 4 | 61 | 17 | 7 | 85 | 21.3 |
| 83 | Virginia | 5 | 48 | 48 | 7 | 103 | 20.6 |
| 83 | Ole Miss | 5 | 38 | 56 | 7 | 101 | 20.2 |
| 83 | Iowa State | 4 | 24 | 36 | 7 | 67 | 16.8 |
| 83 | Northern Illinois | 5 | 44 | 31 | 7 | 82 | 16.4 |
| 83 | UTEP | 5 | 45 | 28 | 7 | 80 | 16.0 |
| 95 | South Carolina | 4 | 40 | 53 | 6 | 99 | 24.8 |
| 95 | Colorado | 4 | 42 | 48 | 6 | 96 | 24.0 |
| 95 | Tulsa | 4 | 55 | 32 | 6 | 93 | 23.3 |
| 95 | Army | 5 | 88 | 21 | 6 | 115 | 23.0 |
| 95 | Syracuse | 5 | 60 | 49 | 6 | 115 | 23.0 |
| 95 | Oregon State | 5 | 55 | 51 | 6 | 112 | 22.4 |
| 95 | Fresno State | 4 | 31 | 48 | 6 | 85 | 21.3 |
| 95 | Duke | 5 | 52 | 46 | 6 | 104 | 20.8 |
| 95 | Miami (FL) | 5 | 58 | 39 | 6 | 103 | 20.6 |
| 95 | North Carolina | 4 | 41 | 35 | 6 | 82 | 20.5 |
| 95 | Louisiana-Monroe | 5 | 42 | 50 | 6 | 98 | 19.6 |
| 95 | Florida State | 5 | 27 | 54 | 6 | 87 | 17.4 |
| 95 | UCLA | 4 | 26 | 32 | 6 | 64 | 16.0 |
| 108 | Boise State | 4 | 38 | 63 | 5 | 106 | 26.5 |
| 108 | Georgia | 5 | 60 | 53 | 5 | 118 | 23.6 |
| 108 | Toledo | 4 | 39 | 47 | 5 | 91 | 22.8 |
| 108 | San Diego State | 4 | 38 | 35 | 5 | 78 | 19.5 |
| 108 | Temple | 5 | 38 | 50 | 5 | 93 | 18.6 |
| 108 | Louisiana | 4 | 35 | 32 | 5 | 72 | 18.0 |
| 108 | Pittsburgh | 5 | 53 | 30 | 5 | 88 | 17.6 |
| 108 | UTSA | 5 | 30 | 48 | 5 | 83 | 16.6 |
| 116 | USF | 4 | 38 | 54 | 4 | 96 | 24.0 |
| 116 | Arkansas State | 5 | 48 | 66 | 4 | 118 | 23.6 |
| 116 | Southern Miss | 4 | 28 | 60 | 4 | 92 | 23.0 |
| 116 | TCU | 5 | 53 | 53 | 4 | 110 | 22.0 |
| 116 | Nevada | 5 | 42 | 56 | 4 | 102 | 20.4 |
| 116 | Middle Tennessee State | 4 | 33 | 40 | 4 | 77 | 19.3 |
| 116 | Marshall | 4 | 26 | 43 | 4 | 73 | 18.3 |
| 123 | Cincinnati | 5 | 69 | 52 | 3 | 124 | 24.8 |
| 123 | Clemson | 5 | 60 | 54 | 3 | 117 | 23.4 |
| 123 | Mississippi State | 5 | 60 | 41 | 3 | 104 | 20.8 |
| 123 | Georgia Southern | 4 | 52 | 10 | 3 | 65 | 16.3 |
| 123 | BYU | 5 | 37 | 39 | 3 | 79 | 15.8 |
| 128 | Wisconsin | 4 | 54 | 36 | 2 | 92 | 23.0 |
| 128 | Virginia Tech | 4 | 42 | 46 | 2 | 90 | 22.5 |
| 128 | Navy | 4 | 72 | 14 | 2 | 88 | 22.0 |