2021 National Leaders First Downs - Games vs. FBS (I-A) Teams Only through 01/10/2022
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wake Forest | 13 | 110 | 180 | 43 | 333 | 25.6 |
| 2 | Miami (FL) | 11 | 83 | 141 | 39 | 263 | 23.9 |
| 3 | Utah State | 13 | 105 | 166 | 38 | 309 | 23.8 |
| 4 | Oklahoma State | 13 | 136 | 145 | 34 | 315 | 24.2 |
| 5 | Utah | 13 | 147 | 133 | 33 | 313 | 24.1 |
| 6 | UTSA | 13 | 130 | 139 | 32 | 301 | 23.2 |
| 6 | Notre Dame | 13 | 92 | 167 | 32 | 291 | 22.4 |
| 8 | USC | 12 | 112 | 166 | 31 | 309 | 25.8 |
| 8 | Arkansas State | 11 | 52 | 151 | 31 | 234 | 21.3 |
| 8 | Arizona | 11 | 89 | 109 | 31 | 229 | 20.8 |
| 11 | Mississippi State | 12 | 65 | 218 | 29 | 312 | 26.0 |
| 11 | Kent State | 13 | 172 | 130 | 29 | 331 | 25.5 |
| 11 | Tulsa | 12 | 117 | 129 | 29 | 275 | 22.9 |
| 11 | New Mexico State | 11 | 77 | 132 | 29 | 238 | 21.6 |
| 11 | Louisiana Tech | 11 | 72 | 125 | 29 | 226 | 20.5 |
| 16 | Fresno State | 12 | 94 | 169 | 28 | 291 | 24.3 |
| 16 | North Carolina | 12 | 134 | 119 | 28 | 281 | 23.4 |
| 16 | Rice | 11 | 63 | 113 | 28 | 204 | 18.5 |
| 16 | Stanford | 12 | 57 | 116 | 28 | 201 | 16.8 |
| 20 | Western Kentucky | 13 | 88 | 246 | 27 | 361 | 27.8 |
| 20 | Pittsburgh | 13 | 113 | 188 | 27 | 328 | 25.2 |
| 20 | Western Michigan | 12 | 138 | 133 | 27 | 298 | 24.8 |
| 20 | Nevada | 12 | 61 | 175 | 27 | 263 | 21.9 |
| 20 | Charlotte | 11 | 82 | 132 | 27 | 241 | 21.9 |
| 20 | Memphis | 11 | 75 | 136 | 27 | 238 | 21.6 |
| 20 | Louisiana-Monroe | 11 | 83 | 96 | 27 | 206 | 18.7 |
| 27 | Georgia | 14 | 141 | 150 | 26 | 317 | 22.6 |
| 27 | Ohio | 11 | 112 | 89 | 26 | 227 | 20.6 |
| 27 | Florida State | 11 | 98 | 101 | 26 | 225 | 20.5 |
| 27 | San Diego State | 13 | 108 | 103 | 26 | 237 | 18.2 |
| 27 | UTEP | 12 | 71 | 116 | 26 | 213 | 17.8 |
| 32 | Purdue | 13 | 66 | 221 | 25 | 312 | 24.0 |
| 32 | Liberty | 12 | 123 | 120 | 25 | 268 | 22.3 |
| 32 | Eastern Michigan | 12 | 74 | 163 | 25 | 262 | 21.8 |
| 32 | Missouri | 12 | 111 | 120 | 25 | 256 | 21.3 |
| 32 | Clemson | 12 | 100 | 106 | 25 | 231 | 19.3 |
| 37 | Tennessee | 12 | 154 | 114 | 24 | 292 | 24.3 |
| 37 | Buffalo | 11 | 121 | 110 | 24 | 255 | 23.2 |
| 37 | North Texas | 12 | 150 | 98 | 24 | 272 | 22.7 |
| 37 | Toledo | 12 | 119 | 106 | 24 | 249 | 20.8 |
| 37 | Texas State | 11 | 94 | 96 | 24 | 214 | 19.5 |
| 37 | Iowa | 14 | 86 | 124 | 24 | 234 | 16.7 |
| 43 | Virginia | 11 | 74 | 200 | 23 | 297 | 27.0 |
| 43 | Northern Illinois | 13 | 167 | 103 | 23 | 293 | 22.5 |
| 43 | Miami (OH) | 12 | 89 | 142 | 23 | 254 | 21.2 |
| 46 | Appalachian State | 13 | 132 | 140 | 22 | 294 | 22.6 |
| 46 | Boise State | 12 | 105 | 137 | 22 | 264 | 22.0 |
| 46 | Michigan State | 12 | 94 | 128 | 22 | 244 | 20.3 |
| 46 | Hawaii | 12 | 84 | 132 | 22 | 238 | 19.8 |
| 46 | Southern Miss | 11 | 82 | 66 | 22 | 170 | 15.5 |
| 51 | Ole Miss | 12 | 142 | 146 | 21 | 309 | 25.8 |
| 51 | Michigan | 14 | 164 | 121 | 21 | 306 | 21.9 |
| 51 | Iowa State | 12 | 87 | 155 | 21 | 263 | 21.9 |
| 51 | Louisville | 12 | 113 | 123 | 21 | 257 | 21.4 |
| 51 | West Virginia | 12 | 94 | 134 | 21 | 249 | 20.8 |
| 51 | Middle Tennessee State | 12 | 93 | 125 | 21 | 239 | 19.9 |
| 51 | Ball State | 12 | 88 | 120 | 21 | 229 | 19.1 |
| 51 | Florida Atlantic | 11 | 86 | 101 | 21 | 208 | 18.9 |
| 51 | Boston College | 11 | 111 | 74 | 21 | 206 | 18.7 |
| 51 | Georgia Tech | 11 | 93 | 92 | 21 | 206 | 18.7 |
| 51 | Illinois | 12 | 102 | 88 | 21 | 211 | 17.6 |
| 51 | South Carolina | 12 | 91 | 96 | 21 | 208 | 17.3 |
| 51 | Vanderbilt | 11 | 80 | 88 | 21 | 189 | 17.2 |
| 51 | Indiana | 11 | 76 | 89 | 21 | 186 | 16.9 |
| 51 | Connecticut | 10 | 60 | 61 | 21 | 142 | 14.2 |
| 66 | Alabama | 14 | 120 | 202 | 20 | 342 | 24.4 |
| 66 | Oregon | 13 | 152 | 123 | 20 | 295 | 22.7 |
| 66 | East Carolina | 11 | 97 | 133 | 20 | 250 | 22.7 |
| 66 | NC State | 11 | 72 | 140 | 20 | 232 | 21.1 |
| 66 | Wisconsin | 13 | 137 | 104 | 20 | 261 | 20.1 |
| 66 | Minnesota | 13 | 146 | 92 | 20 | 258 | 19.8 |
| 66 | LSU | 12 | 84 | 131 | 20 | 235 | 19.6 |
| 66 | New Mexico | 11 | 80 | 49 | 20 | 149 | 13.5 |
| 74 | UCLA | 12 | 146 | 117 | 19 | 282 | 23.5 |
| 74 | Oregon State | 12 | 151 | 107 | 19 | 277 | 23.1 |
| 74 | Kentucky | 12 | 133 | 125 | 19 | 277 | 23.1 |
| 74 | Oklahoma | 12 | 99 | 142 | 19 | 260 | 21.7 |
| 74 | Houston | 13 | 93 | 166 | 19 | 278 | 21.4 |
| 74 | Washington State | 12 | 87 | 130 | 19 | 236 | 19.7 |
| 74 | Old Dominion | 12 | 109 | 105 | 19 | 233 | 19.4 |
| 74 | Virginia Tech | 12 | 117 | 89 | 19 | 225 | 18.8 |
| 74 | Washington | 11 | 75 | 101 | 19 | 195 | 17.7 |
| 74 | Colorado | 11 | 75 | 57 | 19 | 151 | 13.7 |
| 84 | Duke | 11 | 103 | 117 | 18 | 238 | 21.6 |
| 84 | Auburn | 12 | 97 | 136 | 18 | 251 | 20.9 |
| 84 | Texas Tech | 12 | 99 | 126 | 18 | 243 | 20.3 |
| 84 | South Alabama | 11 | 64 | 125 | 18 | 207 | 18.8 |
| 84 | UCF | 12 | 105 | 101 | 18 | 224 | 18.7 |
| 84 | Georgia Southern | 11 | 100 | 73 | 18 | 191 | 17.4 |
| 84 | Troy | 11 | 61 | 112 | 18 | 191 | 17.4 |
| 91 | BYU | 12 | 131 | 124 | 17 | 272 | 22.7 |
| 91 | Arkansas | 12 | 146 | 95 | 17 | 258 | 21.5 |
| 91 | USF | 11 | 110 | 99 | 17 | 226 | 20.5 |
| 91 | Nebraska | 11 | 89 | 120 | 17 | 226 | 20.5 |
| 91 | Syracuse | 11 | 122 | 71 | 17 | 210 | 19.1 |
| 96 | SMU | 11 | 107 | 149 | 16 | 272 | 24.7 |
| 96 | Maryland | 12 | 106 | 151 | 16 | 273 | 22.8 |
| 96 | Louisiana | 13 | 144 | 120 | 16 | 280 | 21.5 |
| 96 | Texas A&M | 11 | 97 | 114 | 16 | 227 | 20.6 |
| 96 | Tulane | 11 | 88 | 98 | 16 | 202 | 18.4 |
| 96 | Massachusetts | 10 | 78 | 66 | 16 | 160 | 16.0 |
| 96 | UNLV | 11 | 59 | 94 | 16 | 169 | 15.4 |
| 103 | Ohio State | 13 | 118 | 215 | 15 | 348 | 26.8 |
| 103 | Central Michigan | 12 | 115 | 142 | 15 | 272 | 22.7 |
| 103 | Marshall | 12 | 115 | 136 | 15 | 266 | 22.2 |
| 103 | Georgia State | 13 | 166 | 100 | 15 | 281 | 21.6 |
| 103 | Florida | 12 | 113 | 131 | 15 | 259 | 21.6 |
| 103 | TCU | 11 | 106 | 105 | 15 | 226 | 20.5 |
| 103 | Cincinnati | 13 | 116 | 130 | 15 | 261 | 20.1 |
| 103 | UAB | 12 | 113 | 86 | 15 | 214 | 17.8 |
| 103 | Navy | 12 | 160 | 27 | 15 | 202 | 16.8 |
| 103 | Rutgers | 12 | 110 | 77 | 15 | 202 | 16.8 |
| 113 | Penn State | 12 | 85 | 145 | 14 | 244 | 20.3 |
| 113 | Akron | 11 | 78 | 109 | 14 | 201 | 18.3 |
| 113 | California | 11 | 88 | 98 | 14 | 200 | 18.2 |
| 113 | Kansas State | 12 | 94 | 102 | 14 | 210 | 17.5 |
| 113 | FIU | 11 | 53 | 105 | 14 | 172 | 15.6 |
| 113 | Bowling Green | 11 | 59 | 93 | 14 | 166 | 15.1 |
| 119 | Texas | 12 | 120 | 114 | 13 | 247 | 20.6 |
| 119 | Northwestern | 11 | 95 | 82 | 13 | 190 | 17.3 |
| 121 | Colorado State | 11 | 86 | 129 | 12 | 227 | 20.6 |
| 121 | Baylor | 13 | 135 | 109 | 12 | 256 | 19.7 |
| 121 | Army | 12 | 179 | 39 | 12 | 230 | 19.2 |
| 121 | Wyoming | 12 | 126 | 86 | 12 | 224 | 18.7 |
| 121 | San Jose State | 11 | 71 | 97 | 12 | 180 | 16.4 |
| 121 | Temple | 11 | 64 | 79 | 12 | 155 | 14.1 |
| 127 | Coastal Carolina | 12 | 140 | 131 | 11 | 282 | 23.5 |
| 127 | Air Force | 12 | 204 | 41 | 11 | 256 | 21.3 |
| 129 | Arizona State | 12 | 128 | 101 | 10 | 239 | 19.9 |
| 129 | Kansas | 11 | 81 | 92 | 10 | 183 | 16.6 |