2026 National Leaders First Downs - Games vs. Conference Teams Only through 09/19/2026
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UCLA | 1 | 20 | 12 | 3 | 35 | 35.0 |
| 2 | SMU | 2 | 19 | 25 | 6 | 50 | 25.0 |
| 3 | Syracuse | 2 | 18 | 23 | 9 | 50 | 25.0 |
| 4 | Army | 1 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 5 | Miami (FL) | 2 | 16 | 31 | 3 | 50 | 25.0 |
| 6 | Virginia | 1 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 7 | North Carolina | 1 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 8 | Georgia | 1 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 8 | Duke | 1 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 10 | Houston | 1 | 12 | 15 | 0 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 10 | USC | 1 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 10 | Louisville | 1 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 10 | Pittsburgh | 1 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 10 | Kentucky | 2 | 12 | 17 | 3 | 32 | 16.0 |
| 15 | Rutgers | 1 | 11 | 14 | 2 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 15 | Florida Atlantic | 1 | 11 | 13 | 3 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 15 | Florida | 1 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 15 | Clemson | 1 | 11 | 8 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 15 | UNLV | 1 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 20 | Air Force | 1 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 20 | Navy | 1 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 20 | BYU | 1 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 23 | Texas A&M | 1 | 9 | 12 | 2 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 23 | Kansas | 1 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 23 | Texas Tech | 1 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 23 | LSU | 1 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 23 | Arizona | 1 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 23 | North Dakota State | 1 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 29 | USF | 1 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 29 | Alabama | 1 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 29 | Stanford | 2 | 8 | 21 | 3 | 32 | 16.0 |
| 32 | Ole Miss | 1 | 7 | 17 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 32 | South Carolina | 1 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 32 | Mississippi State | 1 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 32 | Florida State | 1 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 16 | 16.0 |
| 32 | Arizona State | 1 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 13 | 13.0 |
| 37 | Auburn | 1 | 6 | 14 | 2 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 37 | Hawaii | 1 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 37 | California | 1 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 40 | Eastern Michigan | 1 | 5 | 13 | 3 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 41 | Purdue | 1 | 4 | 15 | 4 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 41 | Sacramento State | 1 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 13.0 |
| 43 | Wake Forest | 1 | 3 | 15 | 2 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 43 | Arkansas | 1 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 43 | NC State | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 10.0 |