2021 National Leaders First Downs - Games vs. FCS (I-AA) Teams Only through 01/10/2022
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UCF | 1 | 17 | 20 | 1 | 38 | 38.0 |
| 1 | Marshall | 1 | 15 | 22 | 1 | 38 | 38.0 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh | 1 | 15 | 20 | 0 | 35 | 35.0 |
| 4 | Nebraska | 1 | 20 | 14 | 0 | 34 | 34.0 |
| 5 | Baylor | 1 | 21 | 11 | 1 | 33 | 33.0 |
| 6 | Old Dominion | 1 | 19 | 10 | 3 | 32 | 32.0 |
| 6 | Tulane | 1 | 18 | 12 | 2 | 32 | 32.0 |
| 6 | Maryland | 1 | 17 | 14 | 1 | 32 | 32.0 |
| 6 | Florida Atlantic | 1 | 15 | 15 | 2 | 32 | 32.0 |
| 6 | Memphis | 1 | 14 | 14 | 4 | 32 | 32.0 |
| 11 | Kent State | 1 | 25 | 5 | 1 | 31 | 31.0 |
| 11 | Miami (Florida) | 1 | 16 | 12 | 3 | 31 | 31.0 |
| 11 | Rice | 1 | 16 | 12 | 3 | 31 | 31.0 |
| 11 | Oklahoma | 1 | 12 | 17 | 2 | 31 | 31.0 |
| 15 | Army | 1 | 26 | 2 | 2 | 30 | 30.0 |
| 15 | Mississippi | 1 | 19 | 10 | 1 | 30 | 30.0 |
| 15 | Buffalo | 1 | 18 | 8 | 4 | 30 | 30.0 |
| 15 | North Carolina | 1 | 17 | 12 | 1 | 30 | 30.0 |
| 15 | Northern Illinois | 1 | 15 | 12 | 3 | 30 | 30.0 |
| 15 | Florida | 1 | 12 | 17 | 1 | 30 | 30.0 |
| 21 | North Texas | 1 | 17 | 10 | 2 | 29 | 29.0 |
| 21 | West Virginia | 1 | 14 | 14 | 1 | 29 | 29.0 |
| 21 | California | 1 | 14 | 13 | 2 | 29 | 29.0 |
| 24 | Central Michigan | 1 | 17 | 9 | 2 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 24 | Coastal Carolina | 1 | 13 | 14 | 1 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 24 | BYU | 1 | 10 | 17 | 1 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 24 | Utah | 1 | 10 | 15 | 3 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 24 | Troy | 1 | 10 | 14 | 4 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 24 | Colorado State | 1 | 7 | 21 | 0 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 30 | Eastern Michigan | 1 | 17 | 6 | 4 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 30 | Clemson | 1 | 14 | 11 | 2 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 30 | Liberty | 1 | 12 | 13 | 2 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 30 | Miami (Ohio) | 1 | 12 | 13 | 2 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 30 | Washington State | 1 | 11 | 15 | 1 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 30 | SMU | 1 | 9 | 16 | 2 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 36 | Michigan State | 1 | 16 | 9 | 1 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 36 | Texas State | 1 | 12 | 13 | 1 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 36 | Oregon | 1 | 10 | 12 | 4 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 36 | TCU | 1 | 9 | 13 | 4 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 36 | Missouri | 1 | 8 | 18 | 0 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 36 | Nevada | 1 | 7 | 19 | 0 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 42 | Georgia Southern | 1 | 18 | 7 | 0 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 42 | Arkansas | 1 | 15 | 9 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 42 | Hawai'i | 1 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 42 | Rutgers | 1 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 42 | Boston College | 1 | 10 | 13 | 2 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 42 | Fresno State | 1 | 9 | 15 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 42 | Louisiana Tech | 1 | 9 | 14 | 2 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 42 | Arkansas State | 1 | 9 | 12 | 4 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 42 | North Carolina State | 1 | 7 | 15 | 3 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 42 | Western Kentucky | 1 | 6 | 18 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 42 | Houston | 1 | 5 | 16 | 4 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 53 | Air Force | 1 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 53 | Texas A&M | 1 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 53 | Kansas State | 1 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 53 | Charlotte | 1 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 53 | Western Michigan | 1 | 14 | 8 | 2 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 53 | UTEP | 1 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 53 | San Diego State | 1 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 53 | Appalachian State | 1 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 53 | Syracuse | 1 | 11 | 10 | 3 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 53 | Tennessee | 1 | 10 | 10 | 4 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 53 | Akron | 1 | 9 | 15 | 0 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 53 | Duke | 1 | 8 | 14 | 2 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 53 | New Mexico State | 1 | 7 | 16 | 1 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 66 | Oregon State | 1 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 66 | South Carolina | 1 | 13 | 9 | 1 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 66 | Alabama | 1 | 9 | 12 | 2 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 66 | Utah State | 1 | 9 | 12 | 2 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 66 | Mississippi State | 1 | 5 | 18 | 0 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 66 | Vanderbilt | 1 | 5 | 15 | 3 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 72 | Colorado | 1 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 72 | South Alabama | 1 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 72 | Southern Mississippi | 1 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 72 | Arizona State | 1 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 72 | Florida International | 1 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 72 | Bowling Green | 1 | 10 | 11 | 1 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 72 | Virginia | 1 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 72 | Georgia | 1 | 9 | 12 | 1 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 72 | Temple | 1 | 8 | 10 | 4 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 72 | Wake Forest | 1 | 7 | 13 | 2 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 82 | Auburn | 1 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 82 | Toledo | 1 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 82 | Florida State | 1 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 82 | Washington | 1 | 4 | 14 | 3 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 86 | Indiana | 1 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 86 | Georgia Tech | 1 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 86 | Kentucky | 1 | 7 | 12 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 86 | Virginia Tech | 1 | 7 | 12 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 86 | Penn State | 1 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 86 | San Jose State | 1 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 86 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 1 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 86 | UTSA | 1 | 5 | 15 | 0 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 94 | Tulsa | 1 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 94 | Middle Tennessee | 1 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 94 | Arizona | 1 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 94 | UAB | 1 | 5 | 14 | 0 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 98 | Massachusetts | 2 | 13 | 15 | 8 | 36 | 18.0 |
| 98 | Northwestern | 1 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 98 | South Florida | 1 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 98 | Louisville | 1 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 98 | Ball State | 1 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 103 | UNLV | 1 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 103 | Iowa State | 1 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 103 | LSU | 1 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 103 | Louisiana-Monroe | 1 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 103 | Cincinnati | 1 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 103 | Wyoming | 1 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 109 | Connecticut | 2 | 11 | 17 | 5 | 33 | 16.5 |
| 110 | New Mexico | 1 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 16 | 16.0 |
| 110 | Oklahoma State | 1 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 16 | 16.0 |
| 112 | Ohio | 1 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 15 | 15.0 |
| 113 | East Carolina | 1 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 14 | 14.0 |
| 114 | Kansas | 1 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 12 | 12.0 |
| 115 | Texas Tech | 1 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 11.0 |