2021 National Leaders First Downs - Games vs. Ranked Teams Only (AP Poll) through 01/10/2022
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Army | 1 | 21 | 5 | 5 | 31 | 31.0 |
| 1 | Western Kentucky | 1 | 6 | 22 | 3 | 31 | 31.0 |
| 3 | Ohio State | 4 | 30 | 84 | 5 | 119 | 29.8 |
| 4 | NC State | 2 | 16 | 33 | 7 | 56 | 28.0 |
| 5 | Oklahoma State | 4 | 41 | 55 | 9 | 105 | 26.3 |
| 5 | USC | 3 | 30 | 47 | 2 | 79 | 26.3 |
| 7 | Alabama | 5 | 49 | 74 | 7 | 130 | 26.0 |
| 7 | UCLA | 2 | 20 | 26 | 6 | 52 | 26.0 |
| 7 | Louisiana Tech | 1 | 9 | 14 | 3 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 10 | Virginia | 4 | 29 | 68 | 6 | 103 | 25.8 |
| 11 | Purdue | 4 | 13 | 80 | 7 | 100 | 25.0 |
| 11 | Wake Forest | 3 | 15 | 49 | 11 | 75 | 25.0 |
| 13 | Mississippi State | 5 | 25 | 84 | 15 | 124 | 24.8 |
| 14 | North Carolina | 4 | 48 | 40 | 9 | 97 | 24.3 |
| 15 | Memphis | 1 | 7 | 11 | 6 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 16 | Liberty | 2 | 25 | 18 | 4 | 47 | 23.5 |
| 16 | Minnesota | 2 | 23 | 20 | 4 | 47 | 23.5 |
| 16 | Fresno State | 2 | 13 | 27 | 7 | 47 | 23.5 |
| 19 | Miami (FL) | 4 | 22 | 55 | 15 | 92 | 23.0 |
| 19 | Utah State | 2 | 10 | 30 | 6 | 46 | 23.0 |
| 19 | Notre Dame | 2 | 4 | 39 | 3 | 46 | 23.0 |
| 19 | California | 1 | 10 | 12 | 1 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 23 | Arkansas | 3 | 34 | 29 | 5 | 68 | 22.7 |
| 24 | Oregon State | 3 | 28 | 35 | 4 | 67 | 22.3 |
| 24 | Florida | 3 | 26 | 35 | 6 | 67 | 22.3 |
| 26 | Michigan | 4 | 39 | 41 | 8 | 88 | 22.0 |
| 26 | Boise State | 4 | 36 | 43 | 9 | 88 | 22.0 |
| 26 | Western Michigan | 2 | 11 | 27 | 6 | 44 | 22.0 |
| 26 | Wyoming | 1 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 26 | Houston | 1 | 7 | 13 | 2 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 26 | Arkansas State | 1 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 26 | Troy | 1 | 2 | 19 | 1 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 33 | Oklahoma | 3 | 25 | 33 | 7 | 65 | 21.7 |
| 34 | Georgia | 6 | 58 | 57 | 13 | 128 | 21.3 |
| 34 | Oregon | 4 | 40 | 38 | 7 | 85 | 21.3 |
| 36 | Utah | 5 | 46 | 46 | 14 | 106 | 21.2 |
| 37 | Iowa State | 5 | 28 | 64 | 13 | 105 | 21.0 |
| 37 | UTSA | 1 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 39 | Tulsa | 4 | 31 | 42 | 10 | 83 | 20.8 |
| 39 | Arizona | 4 | 29 | 42 | 12 | 83 | 20.8 |
| 41 | Pittsburgh | 3 | 26 | 30 | 6 | 62 | 20.7 |
| 42 | USF | 4 | 36 | 38 | 8 | 82 | 20.5 |
| 42 | Washington State | 4 | 27 | 48 | 7 | 82 | 20.5 |
| 44 | Syracuse | 4 | 41 | 31 | 9 | 81 | 20.3 |
| 44 | TCU | 3 | 22 | 36 | 3 | 61 | 20.3 |
| 46 | Louisville | 5 | 45 | 45 | 11 | 101 | 20.2 |
| 46 | Penn State | 5 | 33 | 63 | 5 | 101 | 20.2 |
| 48 | Maryland | 4 | 32 | 43 | 5 | 80 | 20.0 |
| 48 | Ole Miss | 3 | 33 | 23 | 4 | 60 | 20.0 |
| 48 | Texas A&M | 3 | 21 | 31 | 8 | 60 | 20.0 |
| 48 | Arizona State | 2 | 17 | 23 | 0 | 40 | 20.0 |
| 48 | Kentucky | 2 | 15 | 21 | 4 | 40 | 20.0 |
| 48 | Georgia State | 1 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 54 | Nebraska | 5 | 37 | 55 | 7 | 99 | 19.8 |
| 55 | Missouri | 3 | 28 | 25 | 6 | 59 | 19.7 |
| 56 | Tennessee | 5 | 36 | 52 | 10 | 98 | 19.6 |
| 57 | LSU | 4 | 29 | 39 | 10 | 78 | 19.5 |
| 58 | BYU | 3 | 28 | 29 | 1 | 58 | 19.3 |
| 59 | Michigan State | 3 | 19 | 35 | 3 | 57 | 19.0 |
| 59 | Air Force | 2 | 26 | 8 | 4 | 38 | 19.0 |
| 59 | Duke | 2 | 18 | 17 | 3 | 38 | 19.0 |
| 59 | Colorado State | 2 | 13 | 24 | 1 | 38 | 19.0 |
| 59 | Nevada | 1 | 1 | 17 | 1 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 64 | Auburn | 5 | 31 | 50 | 13 | 94 | 18.8 |
| 64 | Rutgers | 4 | 31 | 36 | 8 | 75 | 18.8 |
| 66 | East Carolina | 2 | 11 | 22 | 4 | 37 | 18.5 |
| 67 | Texas | 5 | 34 | 52 | 4 | 90 | 18.0 |
| 67 | Tulane | 4 | 32 | 35 | 5 | 72 | 18.0 |
| 69 | New Mexico State | 4 | 20 | 45 | 6 | 71 | 17.8 |
| 70 | Georgia Southern | 3 | 27 | 20 | 6 | 53 | 17.7 |
| 70 | West Virginia | 3 | 20 | 26 | 7 | 53 | 17.7 |
| 72 | Iowa | 2 | 8 | 22 | 5 | 35 | 17.5 |
| 72 | Hawaii | 2 | 6 | 24 | 5 | 35 | 17.5 |
| 74 | Clemson | 4 | 28 | 31 | 9 | 68 | 17.0 |
| 74 | UAB | 2 | 20 | 12 | 2 | 34 | 17.0 |
| 74 | Virginia Tech | 2 | 13 | 17 | 4 | 34 | 17.0 |
| 74 | Rice | 2 | 7 | 18 | 9 | 34 | 17.0 |
| 74 | Miami (OH) | 1 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 74 | Old Dominion | 1 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 74 | Kent State | 1 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 74 | Akron | 1 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 82 | Northwestern | 3 | 20 | 27 | 3 | 50 | 16.7 |
| 83 | SMU | 2 | 13 | 15 | 5 | 33 | 16.5 |
| 83 | Appalachian State | 2 | 12 | 15 | 6 | 33 | 16.5 |
| 85 | Baylor | 5 | 48 | 27 | 7 | 82 | 16.4 |
| 86 | Florida State | 4 | 23 | 38 | 4 | 65 | 16.3 |
| 86 | Navy | 3 | 32 | 10 | 7 | 49 | 16.3 |
| 88 | Louisiana-Monroe | 2 | 13 | 13 | 6 | 32 | 16.0 |
| 88 | Ohio | 1 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 16 | 16.0 |
| 88 | Toledo | 1 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 16 | 16.0 |
| 91 | Texas Tech | 4 | 20 | 33 | 10 | 63 | 15.8 |
| 92 | Kansas State | 3 | 17 | 26 | 4 | 47 | 15.7 |
| 93 | Georgia Tech | 4 | 24 | 31 | 6 | 61 | 15.3 |
| 93 | Vanderbilt | 3 | 21 | 20 | 5 | 46 | 15.3 |
| 95 | Indiana | 5 | 34 | 33 | 8 | 75 | 15.0 |
| 95 | Boston College | 3 | 19 | 20 | 6 | 45 | 15.0 |
| 95 | Stanford | 3 | 16 | 23 | 6 | 45 | 15.0 |
| 95 | South Alabama | 1 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 15 | 15.0 |
| 99 | Wisconsin | 3 | 17 | 24 | 3 | 44 | 14.7 |
| 100 | San Diego State | 2 | 14 | 11 | 4 | 29 | 14.5 |
| 100 | Texas State | 2 | 12 | 13 | 4 | 29 | 14.5 |
| 102 | Cincinnati | 3 | 18 | 24 | 1 | 43 | 14.3 |
| 103 | New Mexico | 2 | 15 | 9 | 4 | 28 | 14.0 |
| 103 | Colorado | 2 | 14 | 13 | 1 | 28 | 14.0 |
| 103 | San Jose State | 2 | 11 | 15 | 2 | 28 | 14.0 |
| 103 | UCF | 1 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 14 | 14.0 |
| 107 | UNLV | 2 | 9 | 15 | 2 | 26 | 13.0 |
| 107 | Washington | 2 | 7 | 16 | 3 | 26 | 13.0 |
| 107 | Marshall | 1 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 13.0 |
| 110 | Kansas | 3 | 16 | 19 | 3 | 38 | 12.7 |
| 111 | South Carolina | 3 | 11 | 23 | 3 | 37 | 12.3 |
| 112 | Temple | 2 | 11 | 12 | 1 | 24 | 12.0 |
| 113 | Connecticut | 2 | 7 | 12 | 4 | 23 | 11.5 |
| 114 | Northern Illinois | 1 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 11.0 |
| 114 | Massachusetts | 1 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 11.0 |
| 114 | Southern Miss | 1 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 11 | 11.0 |
| 114 | Illinois | 1 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 11.0 |