2026 National Leaders First Downs - Games vs. FBS non-Power 5 Conference Teams Only through 09/19/2026
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas A&M | 1 | 17 | 16 | 2 | 35 | 35.0 |
| 1 | Mississippi State | 1 | 14 | 21 | 0 | 35 | 35.0 |
| 1 | South Carolina | 1 | 14 | 20 | 1 | 35 | 35.0 |
| 4 | Pittsburgh | 1 | 9 | 21 | 3 | 33 | 33.0 |
| 5 | Auburn | 1 | 18 | 11 | 2 | 31 | 31.0 |
| 6 | Florida | 1 | 11 | 14 | 5 | 30 | 30.0 |
| 7 | Texas State | 2 | 29 | 24 | 4 | 57 | 28.5 |
| 7 | Ohio State | 2 | 18 | 37 | 2 | 57 | 28.5 |
| 9 | Nebraska | 2 | 26 | 26 | 4 | 56 | 28.0 |
| 9 | Boise State | 1 | 16 | 10 | 2 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 9 | Alabama | 1 | 15 | 9 | 4 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 9 | New Mexico | 1 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 13 | USC | 2 | 22 | 30 | 2 | 54 | 27.0 |
| 13 | Texas | 1 | 14 | 10 | 3 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 13 | Oklahoma State | 1 | 10 | 13 | 4 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 13 | Maryland | 1 | 7 | 16 | 4 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 13 | Toledo | 1 | 6 | 19 | 2 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 18 | Tennessee | 1 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 18 | Iowa | 1 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 18 | LSU | 1 | 9 | 16 | 1 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 18 | Virginia Tech | 1 | 8 | 15 | 3 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 22 | Iowa State | 1 | 16 | 8 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 22 | Ole Miss | 1 | 10 | 14 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 22 | Cincinnati | 1 | 9 | 15 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 25 | Penn State | 3 | 29 | 38 | 6 | 73 | 24.3 |
| 26 | Connecticut | 1 | 11 | 11 | 2 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 26 | Missouri State | 1 | 9 | 12 | 3 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 26 | Notre Dame | 1 | 7 | 16 | 1 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 29 | South Alabama | 2 | 25 | 18 | 3 | 46 | 23.0 |
| 29 | Georgia State | 1 | 12 | 11 | 0 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 29 | Western Kentucky | 1 | 11 | 10 | 2 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 29 | New Mexico State | 1 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 33 | Memphis | 2 | 23 | 16 | 5 | 44 | 22.0 |
| 33 | Marshall | 2 | 23 | 15 | 6 | 44 | 22.0 |
| 33 | Florida Atlantic | 2 | 17 | 22 | 5 | 44 | 22.0 |
| 33 | Georgia Southern | 1 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 33 | Baylor | 1 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 33 | North Texas | 1 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 33 | Clemson | 1 | 8 | 10 | 4 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 33 | Arizona | 1 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 33 | Arkansas State | 1 | 7 | 13 | 2 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 33 | Delaware | 1 | 5 | 16 | 1 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 43 | Appalachian State | 2 | 13 | 25 | 5 | 43 | 21.5 |
| 44 | Indiana | 2 | 16 | 24 | 2 | 42 | 21.0 |
| 44 | Fresno State | 2 | 16 | 23 | 3 | 42 | 21.0 |
| 44 | Liberty | 2 | 16 | 21 | 5 | 42 | 21.0 |
| 44 | Army | 1 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 44 | Temple | 1 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 44 | San Diego State | 1 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 44 | Louisiana | 1 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 44 | Air Force | 1 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 44 | TCU | 1 | 9 | 12 | 0 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 44 | Coastal Carolina | 1 | 9 | 11 | 1 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 44 | Stanford | 1 | 9 | 11 | 1 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 44 | Southern Miss | 1 | 7 | 12 | 2 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 56 | FIU | 3 | 16 | 41 | 5 | 62 | 20.7 |
| 57 | Middle Tennessee State | 2 | 12 | 27 | 2 | 41 | 20.5 |
| 57 | Sam Houston State | 2 | 11 | 25 | 5 | 41 | 20.5 |
| 57 | Hawaii | 2 | 10 | 28 | 3 | 41 | 20.5 |
| 60 | Michigan State | 3 | 27 | 30 | 4 | 61 | 20.3 |
| 61 | Duke | 1 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 61 | Florida State | 1 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 61 | Minnesota | 1 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 61 | Kansas State | 1 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 61 | Wake Forest | 1 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 66 | UNLV | 3 | 28 | 26 | 5 | 59 | 19.7 |
| 67 | Ohio | 2 | 19 | 15 | 5 | 39 | 19.5 |
| 67 | East Carolina | 2 | 19 | 14 | 6 | 39 | 19.5 |
| 67 | Michigan | 2 | 15 | 21 | 3 | 39 | 19.5 |
| 67 | Wisconsin | 2 | 13 | 24 | 2 | 39 | 19.5 |
| 71 | Louisiana-Monroe | 1 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 71 | San Jose State | 1 | 6 | 12 | 1 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 73 | North Dakota State | 3 | 23 | 25 | 7 | 55 | 18.3 |
| 74 | West Virginia | 1 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 74 | Navy | 1 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 74 | Troy | 1 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 74 | Colorado State | 1 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 74 | Georgia | 1 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 74 | Tulsa | 1 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 74 | Rutgers | 1 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 81 | Jacksonville State | 3 | 26 | 20 | 7 | 53 | 17.7 |
| 82 | Nevada | 2 | 18 | 13 | 4 | 35 | 17.5 |
| 82 | USF | 2 | 15 | 18 | 2 | 35 | 17.5 |
| 84 | UAB | 2 | 20 | 13 | 1 | 34 | 17.0 |
| 84 | Eastern Michigan | 2 | 11 | 19 | 4 | 34 | 17.0 |
| 84 | UCF | 1 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 84 | Ball State | 1 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 84 | Western Michigan | 1 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 84 | Wyoming | 1 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 84 | Vanderbilt | 1 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 84 | Illinois | 1 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 84 | Kennesaw State | 1 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 93 | Sacramento State | 2 | 9 | 22 | 2 | 33 | 16.5 |
| 94 | Oklahoma | 2 | 12 | 19 | 1 | 32 | 16.0 |
| 95 | James Madison | 1 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 15 | 15.0 |
| 95 | Charlotte | 1 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 15 | 15.0 |
| 97 | Central Michigan | 2 | 25 | 3 | 1 | 29 | 14.5 |
| 98 | Old Dominion | 1 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 14.0 |
| 99 | Rice | 2 | 14 | 11 | 2 | 27 | 13.5 |
| 100 | Missouri | 1 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 13.0 |
| 100 | Tulane | 1 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 13.0 |
| 100 | Buffalo | 1 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 13 | 13.0 |