2021 National Leaders Opponent First Downs - Games in October Only through 01/10/2022
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma State | 4 | 17 | 27 | 6 | 50 | 12.5 |
| 2 | Army | 3 | 16 | 32 | 4 | 52 | 17.3 |
| 3 | Air Force | 4 | 23 | 30 | 3 | 56 | 14.0 |
| 3 | Mississippi State | 4 | 25 | 29 | 2 | 56 | 14.0 |
| 5 | Michigan | 4 | 20 | 36 | 5 | 61 | 15.3 |
| 6 | Louisiana | 4 | 20 | 31 | 11 | 62 | 15.5 |
| 6 | Georgia | 4 | 22 | 36 | 4 | 62 | 15.5 |
| 6 | UTEP | 4 | 24 | 27 | 11 | 62 | 15.5 |
| 6 | Purdue | 4 | 29 | 29 | 4 | 62 | 15.5 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | 5 | 21 | 33 | 9 | 63 | 12.6 |
| 11 | Wyoming | 4 | 36 | 24 | 4 | 64 | 16.0 |
| 12 | Toledo | 4 | 25 | 33 | 7 | 65 | 16.3 |
| 13 | Coastal Carolina | 4 | 24 | 38 | 4 | 66 | 16.5 |
| 14 | Houston | 4 | 17 | 40 | 10 | 67 | 16.8 |
| 14 | Southern Miss | 4 | 29 | 29 | 9 | 67 | 16.8 |
| 16 | San Diego State | 4 | 34 | 26 | 9 | 69 | 17.3 |
| 16 | Marshall | 4 | 42 | 21 | 6 | 69 | 17.3 |
| 18 | UAB | 4 | 22 | 36 | 12 | 70 | 17.5 |
| 18 | East Carolina | 4 | 28 | 38 | 4 | 70 | 17.5 |
| 18 | California | 4 | 35 | 32 | 3 | 70 | 17.5 |
| 18 | New Mexico State | 3 | 25 | 38 | 7 | 70 | 23.3 |
| 22 | Kansas State | 4 | 29 | 38 | 4 | 71 | 17.8 |
| 22 | Florida | 4 | 36 | 30 | 5 | 71 | 17.8 |
| 22 | Miami (FL) | 3 | 24 | 40 | 7 | 71 | 23.7 |
| 25 | Florida Atlantic | 4 | 19 | 44 | 9 | 72 | 18.0 |
| 25 | Iowa | 4 | 23 | 43 | 6 | 72 | 18.0 |
| 25 | SMU | 4 | 29 | 38 | 5 | 72 | 18.0 |
| 25 | Boston College | 4 | 41 | 26 | 5 | 72 | 18.0 |
| 25 | Washington | 4 | 45 | 23 | 4 | 72 | 18.0 |
| 30 | Troy | 4 | 25 | 43 | 6 | 74 | 18.5 |
| 30 | Minnesota | 4 | 28 | 42 | 4 | 74 | 18.5 |
| 32 | Clemson | 4 | 26 | 44 | 5 | 75 | 18.8 |
| 32 | Western Michigan | 4 | 36 | 36 | 3 | 75 | 18.8 |
| 34 | Alabama | 4 | 22 | 43 | 11 | 76 | 19.0 |
| 34 | West Virginia | 4 | 30 | 43 | 3 | 76 | 19.0 |
| 34 | Rutgers | 4 | 34 | 36 | 6 | 76 | 19.0 |
| 34 | Arkansas | 4 | 42 | 26 | 8 | 76 | 19.0 |
| 38 | Ohio State | 4 | 22 | 48 | 7 | 77 | 19.3 |
| 38 | Northern Illinois | 4 | 25 | 46 | 6 | 77 | 19.3 |
| 38 | Colorado State | 4 | 36 | 30 | 11 | 77 | 19.3 |
| 41 | NC State | 4 | 27 | 39 | 12 | 78 | 19.5 |
| 41 | Appalachian State | 4 | 32 | 40 | 6 | 78 | 19.5 |
| 41 | Penn State | 4 | 36 | 33 | 9 | 78 | 19.5 |
| 41 | Rice | 4 | 43 | 30 | 5 | 78 | 19.5 |
| 41 | Memphis | 4 | 46 | 28 | 4 | 78 | 19.5 |
| 46 | Utah State | 4 | 27 | 48 | 4 | 79 | 19.8 |
| 46 | New Mexico | 4 | 45 | 25 | 9 | 79 | 19.8 |
| 48 | Pittsburgh | 4 | 23 | 45 | 12 | 80 | 20.0 |
| 49 | Navy | 5 | 34 | 41 | 6 | 81 | 16.2 |
| 49 | Baylor | 4 | 30 | 44 | 7 | 81 | 20.3 |
| 49 | Florida State | 4 | 39 | 33 | 9 | 81 | 20.3 |
| 52 | Miami (OH) | 4 | 22 | 53 | 7 | 82 | 20.5 |
| 53 | Iowa State | 4 | 30 | 47 | 6 | 83 | 20.8 |
| 53 | Louisiana Tech | 4 | 34 | 40 | 9 | 83 | 20.8 |
| 53 | Stanford | 4 | 46 | 34 | 3 | 83 | 20.8 |
| 56 | USC | 4 | 27 | 45 | 12 | 84 | 21.0 |
| 56 | Tulsa | 4 | 33 | 42 | 9 | 84 | 21.0 |
| 56 | Boise State | 4 | 37 | 39 | 8 | 84 | 21.0 |
| 56 | Virginia Tech | 4 | 41 | 38 | 5 | 84 | 21.0 |
| 56 | Illinois | 4 | 53 | 27 | 4 | 84 | 21.0 |
| 61 | UTSA | 4 | 24 | 54 | 7 | 85 | 21.3 |
| 61 | Charlotte | 4 | 33 | 47 | 5 | 85 | 21.3 |
| 61 | South Carolina | 4 | 44 | 34 | 7 | 85 | 21.3 |
| 64 | Cincinnati | 5 | 38 | 39 | 9 | 86 | 17.2 |
| 64 | Ball State | 4 | 34 | 44 | 8 | 86 | 21.5 |
| 66 | Texas A&M | 4 | 20 | 55 | 12 | 87 | 21.8 |
| 66 | Massachusetts | 4 | 43 | 33 | 11 | 87 | 21.8 |
| 68 | Louisville | 4 | 21 | 60 | 7 | 88 | 22.0 |
| 68 | Old Dominion | 4 | 24 | 54 | 10 | 88 | 22.0 |
| 68 | Middle Tennessee State | 4 | 37 | 44 | 7 | 88 | 22.0 |
| 71 | South Alabama | 5 | 41 | 39 | 9 | 89 | 17.8 |
| 71 | Nebraska | 4 | 37 | 47 | 5 | 89 | 22.3 |
| 73 | Kentucky | 4 | 30 | 52 | 8 | 90 | 22.5 |
| 73 | Fresno State | 4 | 31 | 48 | 11 | 90 | 22.5 |
| 73 | Connecticut | 4 | 40 | 42 | 8 | 90 | 22.5 |
| 73 | Eastern Michigan | 4 | 41 | 43 | 6 | 90 | 22.5 |
| 73 | Notre Dame | 4 | 41 | 45 | 4 | 90 | 22.5 |
| 73 | Akron | 4 | 54 | 33 | 3 | 90 | 22.5 |
| 79 | Arizona State | 4 | 31 | 50 | 10 | 91 | 22.8 |
| 79 | Arizona | 4 | 37 | 40 | 14 | 91 | 22.8 |
| 79 | Oregon State | 4 | 40 | 45 | 6 | 91 | 22.8 |
| 82 | Tulane | 4 | 33 | 56 | 3 | 92 | 23.0 |
| 83 | Liberty | 5 | 44 | 36 | 13 | 93 | 18.6 |
| 83 | North Texas | 4 | 34 | 44 | 15 | 93 | 23.3 |
| 83 | Oregon | 4 | 36 | 48 | 9 | 93 | 23.3 |
| 83 | Central Michigan | 4 | 44 | 40 | 9 | 93 | 23.3 |
| 83 | Texas State | 4 | 50 | 37 | 6 | 93 | 23.3 |
| 83 | Arkansas State | 4 | 56 | 33 | 4 | 93 | 23.3 |
| 89 | Indiana | 4 | 29 | 56 | 9 | 94 | 23.5 |
| 89 | UNLV | 4 | 31 | 57 | 6 | 94 | 23.5 |
| 89 | Utah | 4 | 36 | 54 | 4 | 94 | 23.5 |
| 89 | Georgia State | 4 | 41 | 43 | 10 | 94 | 23.5 |
| 89 | Colorado | 4 | 45 | 42 | 7 | 94 | 23.5 |
| 94 | Ohio | 4 | 39 | 48 | 8 | 95 | 23.8 |
| 94 | North Carolina | 4 | 44 | 35 | 16 | 95 | 23.8 |
| 96 | Auburn | 4 | 34 | 53 | 9 | 96 | 24.0 |
| 96 | Duke | 4 | 35 | 52 | 9 | 96 | 24.0 |
| 96 | Georgia Southern | 4 | 35 | 53 | 8 | 96 | 24.0 |
| 96 | Kansas | 4 | 53 | 40 | 3 | 96 | 24.0 |
| 96 | Northwestern | 4 | 59 | 31 | 6 | 96 | 24.0 |
| 101 | Maryland | 4 | 41 | 47 | 9 | 97 | 24.3 |
| 101 | LSU | 4 | 43 | 50 | 4 | 97 | 24.3 |
| 103 | San Jose State | 5 | 38 | 52 | 8 | 98 | 19.6 |
| 103 | Texas | 4 | 46 | 43 | 9 | 98 | 24.5 |
| 105 | Syracuse | 5 | 43 | 49 | 7 | 99 | 19.8 |
| 105 | USF | 4 | 44 | 49 | 6 | 99 | 24.8 |
| 107 | Michigan State | 4 | 30 | 58 | 12 | 100 | 25.0 |
| 108 | Texas Tech | 5 | 38 | 60 | 3 | 101 | 20.2 |
| 108 | Wake Forest | 4 | 63 | 29 | 9 | 101 | 25.3 |
| 110 | Virginia | 4 | 43 | 53 | 6 | 102 | 25.5 |
| 111 | Washington State | 5 | 57 | 42 | 4 | 103 | 20.6 |
| 112 | Tennessee | 4 | 45 | 53 | 6 | 104 | 26.0 |
| 113 | Missouri | 4 | 59 | 35 | 11 | 105 | 26.3 |
| 114 | Oklahoma | 5 | 38 | 64 | 5 | 107 | 21.4 |
| 114 | Temple | 4 | 60 | 42 | 5 | 107 | 26.8 |
| 116 | Buffalo | 5 | 61 | 37 | 10 | 108 | 21.6 |
| 116 | FIU | 4 | 50 | 51 | 7 | 108 | 27.0 |
| 118 | UCF | 5 | 60 | 36 | 13 | 109 | 21.8 |
| 118 | Georgia Tech | 4 | 45 | 58 | 6 | 109 | 27.3 |
| 120 | Nevada | 5 | 30 | 72 | 9 | 111 | 22.2 |
| 120 | Vanderbilt | 5 | 43 | 61 | 7 | 111 | 22.2 |
| 122 | UCLA | 5 | 49 | 51 | 12 | 112 | 22.4 |
| 123 | Kent State | 4 | 46 | 54 | 13 | 113 | 28.3 |
| 124 | Hawaii | 4 | 37 | 64 | 13 | 114 | 28.5 |
| 125 | Western Kentucky | 5 | 47 | 60 | 9 | 116 | 23.2 |
| 125 | TCU | 5 | 54 | 51 | 11 | 116 | 23.2 |
| 127 | BYU | 5 | 43 | 66 | 8 | 117 | 23.4 |
| 128 | Bowling Green | 5 | 67 | 47 | 12 | 126 | 25.2 |
| 129 | Louisiana-Monroe | 5 | 64 | 63 | 7 | 134 | 26.8 |
| 130 | Ole Miss | 5 | 67 | 62 | 15 | 144 | 28.8 |