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 | Massachusetts | 2 | 13 | 15 | 8 | 36 | 18.0 |
| 4 | Pittsburgh | 1 | 15 | 20 | 0 | 35 | 35.0 |
| 5 | Nebraska | 1 | 20 | 14 | 0 | 34 | 34.0 |
| 6 | Baylor | 1 | 21 | 11 | 1 | 33 | 33.0 |
| 6 | Connecticut | 2 | 11 | 17 | 5 | 33 | 16.5 |
| 8 | Old Dominion | 1 | 19 | 10 | 3 | 32 | 32.0 |
| 8 | Tulane | 1 | 18 | 12 | 2 | 32 | 32.0 |
| 8 | Maryland | 1 | 17 | 14 | 1 | 32 | 32.0 |
| 8 | Florida Atlantic | 1 | 15 | 15 | 2 | 32 | 32.0 |
| 8 | Memphis | 1 | 14 | 14 | 4 | 32 | 32.0 |
| 13 | Kent State | 1 | 25 | 5 | 1 | 31 | 31.0 |
| 13 | Miami (Florida) | 1 | 16 | 12 | 3 | 31 | 31.0 |
| 13 | Rice | 1 | 16 | 12 | 3 | 31 | 31.0 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | 1 | 12 | 17 | 2 | 31 | 31.0 |
| 17 | Army | 1 | 26 | 2 | 2 | 30 | 30.0 |
| 17 | Mississippi | 1 | 19 | 10 | 1 | 30 | 30.0 |
| 17 | Buffalo | 1 | 18 | 8 | 4 | 30 | 30.0 |
| 17 | North Carolina | 1 | 17 | 12 | 1 | 30 | 30.0 |
| 17 | Northern Illinois | 1 | 15 | 12 | 3 | 30 | 30.0 |
| 17 | Florida | 1 | 12 | 17 | 1 | 30 | 30.0 |
| 23 | North Texas | 1 | 17 | 10 | 2 | 29 | 29.0 |
| 23 | West Virginia | 1 | 14 | 14 | 1 | 29 | 29.0 |
| 23 | California | 1 | 14 | 13 | 2 | 29 | 29.0 |
| 26 | Central Michigan | 1 | 17 | 9 | 2 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 26 | Coastal Carolina | 1 | 13 | 14 | 1 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 26 | BYU | 1 | 10 | 17 | 1 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 26 | Utah | 1 | 10 | 15 | 3 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 26 | Troy | 1 | 10 | 14 | 4 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 26 | Colorado State | 1 | 7 | 21 | 0 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 32 | Eastern Michigan | 1 | 17 | 6 | 4 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 32 | Clemson | 1 | 14 | 11 | 2 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 32 | Liberty | 1 | 12 | 13 | 2 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 32 | Miami (Ohio) | 1 | 12 | 13 | 2 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 32 | Washington State | 1 | 11 | 15 | 1 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 32 | SMU | 1 | 9 | 16 | 2 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 38 | Michigan State | 1 | 16 | 9 | 1 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 38 | Texas State | 1 | 12 | 13 | 1 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 38 | Oregon | 1 | 10 | 12 | 4 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 38 | TCU | 1 | 9 | 13 | 4 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 38 | Missouri | 1 | 8 | 18 | 0 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 38 | Nevada | 1 | 7 | 19 | 0 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 44 | Georgia Southern | 1 | 18 | 7 | 0 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 44 | Arkansas | 1 | 15 | 9 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 44 | Hawai'i | 1 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 44 | Rutgers | 1 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 44 | Boston College | 1 | 10 | 13 | 2 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 44 | Fresno State | 1 | 9 | 15 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 44 | Louisiana Tech | 1 | 9 | 14 | 2 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 44 | Arkansas State | 1 | 9 | 12 | 4 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 44 | North Carolina State | 1 | 7 | 15 | 3 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 44 | Western Kentucky | 1 | 6 | 18 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 44 | Houston | 1 | 5 | 16 | 4 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 55 | Air Force | 1 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 55 | Texas A&M | 1 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 55 | Kansas State | 1 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 55 | Charlotte | 1 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 55 | Western Michigan | 1 | 14 | 8 | 2 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 55 | UTEP | 1 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 55 | San Diego State | 1 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 55 | Appalachian State | 1 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 55 | Syracuse | 1 | 11 | 10 | 3 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 55 | Tennessee | 1 | 10 | 10 | 4 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 55 | Akron | 1 | 9 | 15 | 0 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 55 | Duke | 1 | 8 | 14 | 2 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 55 | New Mexico State | 1 | 7 | 16 | 1 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 68 | Oregon State | 1 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 68 | South Carolina | 1 | 13 | 9 | 1 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 68 | Alabama | 1 | 9 | 12 | 2 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 68 | Utah State | 1 | 9 | 12 | 2 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 68 | Mississippi State | 1 | 5 | 18 | 0 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 68 | Vanderbilt | 1 | 5 | 15 | 3 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 74 | Colorado | 1 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 74 | South Alabama | 1 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 74 | Southern Mississippi | 1 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 74 | Arizona State | 1 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 74 | Florida International | 1 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 74 | Bowling Green | 1 | 10 | 11 | 1 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 74 | Virginia | 1 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 74 | Georgia | 1 | 9 | 12 | 1 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 74 | Temple | 1 | 8 | 10 | 4 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 74 | Wake Forest | 1 | 7 | 13 | 2 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 84 | Auburn | 1 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 84 | Toledo | 1 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 84 | Florida State | 1 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 84 | Washington | 1 | 4 | 14 | 3 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 88 | Indiana | 1 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 88 | Georgia Tech | 1 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 88 | Kentucky | 1 | 7 | 12 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 88 | Virginia Tech | 1 | 7 | 12 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 88 | Penn State | 1 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 88 | San Jose State | 1 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 88 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 1 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 88 | UTSA | 1 | 5 | 15 | 0 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 96 | Tulsa | 1 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 96 | Middle Tennessee | 1 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 96 | Arizona | 1 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 96 | UAB | 1 | 5 | 14 | 0 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 100 | Northwestern | 1 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 100 | South Florida | 1 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 100 | Louisville | 1 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 100 | Ball State | 1 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 104 | UNLV | 1 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 104 | Iowa State | 1 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 104 | LSU | 1 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 104 | Louisiana-Monroe | 1 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 104 | Cincinnati | 1 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 104 | Wyoming | 1 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 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 |