2005 National Leaders First Downs - All Games through 01/04/2006
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USC | 13 | 173 | 179 | 24 | 376 | 28.9 |
| 2 | Northwestern | 12 | 130 | 168 | 30 | 328 | 27.3 |
| 3 | Texas Tech | 12 | 86 | 203 | 33 | 322 | 26.8 |
| 4 | Notre Dame | 12 | 126 | 169 | 19 | 314 | 26.2 |
| 5 | Arizona State | 12 | 93 | 201 | 19 | 313 | 26.1 |
| 6 | Michigan State | 11 | 129 | 142 | 13 | 284 | 25.8 |
| 7 | BYU | 12 | 109 | 173 | 26 | 308 | 25.7 |
| 7 | Hawai'i | 12 | 67 | 210 | 31 | 308 | 25.7 |
| 9 | Nevada | 12 | 130 | 152 | 19 | 301 | 25.1 |
| 10 | Texas | 13 | 180 | 121 | 20 | 321 | 24.7 |
| 11 | Minnesota | 12 | 167 | 106 | 16 | 289 | 24.1 |
| 12 | Louisville | 12 | 123 | 142 | 22 | 287 | 23.9 |
| 13 | Toledo | 12 | 148 | 120 | 17 | 285 | 23.8 |
| 13 | Bowling Green | 11 | 98 | 146 | 18 | 262 | 23.8 |
| 15 | Miami (Ohio) | 11 | 91 | 148 | 21 | 260 | 23.6 |
| 16 | Vanderbilt | 11 | 82 | 149 | 27 | 258 | 23.5 |
| 17 | Missouri | 12 | 129 | 127 | 25 | 281 | 23.4 |
| 18 | Washington State | 11 | 105 | 132 | 19 | 256 | 23.3 |
| 19 | Utah | 12 | 112 | 150 | 12 | 274 | 22.8 |
| 20 | Iowa | 12 | 107 | 148 | 17 | 272 | 22.7 |
| 21 | UTEP | 12 | 87 | 161 | 22 | 270 | 22.5 |
| 21 | Oregon | 12 | 80 | 164 | 26 | 270 | 22.5 |
| 21 | Air Force | 11 | 148 | 78 | 21 | 247 | 22.5 |
| 21 | New Mexico | 11 | 123 | 101 | 23 | 247 | 22.5 |
| 21 | UAB | 11 | 88 | 143 | 15 | 247 | 22.5 |
| 26 | Boise State | 13 | 151 | 125 | 15 | 291 | 22.4 |
| 27 | Purdue | 11 | 98 | 135 | 12 | 245 | 22.3 |
| 28 | Fresno State | 13 | 111 | 158 | 20 | 289 | 22.2 |
| 29 | Houston | 12 | 130 | 124 | 11 | 265 | 22.1 |
| 29 | Oregon State | 11 | 71 | 153 | 19 | 243 | 22.1 |
| 31 | Maryland | 11 | 95 | 128 | 19 | 242 | 22.0 |
| 32 | Navy | 12 | 197 | 54 | 12 | 263 | 21.9 |
| 33 | UCLA | 12 | 103 | 136 | 23 | 262 | 21.8 |
| 33 | Penn State | 12 | 135 | 106 | 20 | 261 | 21.8 |
| 35 | Virginia Tech | 13 | 148 | 113 | 21 | 282 | 21.7 |
| 36 | Michigan | 12 | 111 | 130 | 18 | 259 | 21.6 |
| 36 | Texas A&M | 11 | 125 | 97 | 16 | 238 | 21.6 |
| 38 | UCF | 13 | 106 | 157 | 17 | 280 | 21.5 |
| 39 | Auburn | 12 | 124 | 122 | 11 | 257 | 21.4 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | 13 | 132 | 134 | 11 | 277 | 21.3 |
| 40 | Ohio State | 12 | 127 | 124 | 5 | 256 | 21.3 |
| 40 | TCU | 12 | 128 | 108 | 19 | 255 | 21.3 |
| 40 | Boston College | 12 | 97 | 140 | 18 | 255 | 21.3 |
| 44 | Northern Illinois | 12 | 123 | 114 | 17 | 254 | 21.2 |
| 45 | Western Michigan | 11 | 85 | 128 | 19 | 232 | 21.1 |
| 46 | Clemson | 12 | 110 | 119 | 23 | 252 | 21.0 |
| 47 | California | 12 | 135 | 97 | 19 | 251 | 20.9 |
| 48 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 11 | 137 | 76 | 14 | 227 | 20.6 |
| 48 | Central Michigan | 11 | 90 | 126 | 11 | 227 | 20.6 |
| 50 | Rice | 11 | 159 | 44 | 22 | 225 | 20.5 |
| 51 | Florida | 12 | 105 | 124 | 16 | 245 | 20.4 |
| 51 | Louisiana-Monroe | 11 | 97 | 105 | 22 | 224 | 20.4 |
| 51 | Florida International | 11 | 81 | 121 | 22 | 224 | 20.4 |
| 54 | Tulsa | 13 | 111 | 129 | 24 | 264 | 20.3 |
| 55 | Colorado State | 12 | 82 | 149 | 10 | 241 | 20.1 |
| 55 | Marshall | 11 | 86 | 118 | 17 | 221 | 20.1 |
| 57 | Georgia Tech | 12 | 104 | 112 | 24 | 240 | 20.0 |
| 57 | Illinois | 11 | 106 | 99 | 15 | 220 | 20.0 |
| 57 | Louisiana Tech | 11 | 99 | 106 | 15 | 220 | 20.0 |
| 57 | Cincinnati | 11 | 95 | 103 | 22 | 220 | 20.0 |
| 61 | San Diego State | 12 | 94 | 126 | 19 | 239 | 19.9 |
| 62 | Georgia | 13 | 106 | 132 | 20 | 258 | 19.8 |
| 62 | Rutgers | 12 | 96 | 129 | 13 | 238 | 19.8 |
| 64 | Wyoming | 11 | 75 | 113 | 29 | 217 | 19.7 |
| 65 | LSU | 13 | 118 | 119 | 18 | 255 | 19.6 |
| 65 | Memphis | 12 | 156 | 63 | 16 | 235 | 19.6 |
| 65 | Indiana | 11 | 93 | 106 | 17 | 216 | 19.6 |
| 65 | East Carolina | 11 | 91 | 110 | 15 | 216 | 19.6 |
| 69 | Akron | 13 | 79 | 154 | 20 | 253 | 19.5 |
| 69 | Virginia | 12 | 98 | 114 | 22 | 234 | 19.5 |
| 69 | Arizona | 11 | 78 | 109 | 27 | 214 | 19.5 |
| 72 | Eastern Michigan | 11 | 78 | 119 | 16 | 213 | 19.4 |
| 73 | Oklahoma | 12 | 113 | 103 | 15 | 231 | 19.3 |
| 74 | Iowa State | 12 | 83 | 124 | 23 | 230 | 19.2 |
| 75 | New Mexico State | 12 | 70 | 136 | 23 | 229 | 19.1 |
| 76 | Southern Mississippi | 12 | 74 | 127 | 27 | 228 | 19.0 |
| 77 | Arkansas | 11 | 116 | 78 | 14 | 208 | 18.9 |
| 77 | Connecticut | 11 | 106 | 76 | 26 | 208 | 18.9 |
| 79 | West Virginia | 12 | 150 | 64 | 11 | 225 | 18.8 |
| 80 | Colorado | 13 | 83 | 129 | 31 | 243 | 18.7 |
| 80 | Florida State | 13 | 67 | 156 | 20 | 243 | 18.7 |
| 80 | Army | 11 | 98 | 91 | 17 | 206 | 18.7 |
| 83 | South Florida | 12 | 130 | 82 | 11 | 223 | 18.6 |
| 84 | Alabama | 12 | 103 | 102 | 17 | 222 | 18.5 |
| 85 | Nebraska | 12 | 71 | 124 | 26 | 221 | 18.4 |
| 85 | Utah State | 11 | 84 | 96 | 22 | 202 | 18.4 |
| 85 | UNLV | 11 | 74 | 108 | 20 | 202 | 18.4 |
| 85 | Idaho | 11 | 48 | 132 | 22 | 202 | 18.4 |
| 89 | Arkansas State | 12 | 118 | 88 | 13 | 219 | 18.3 |
| 89 | Wake Forest | 11 | 113 | 74 | 14 | 201 | 18.3 |
| 89 | Stanford | 11 | 66 | 116 | 19 | 201 | 18.3 |
| 92 | Baylor | 11 | 79 | 108 | 13 | 200 | 18.2 |
| 93 | Miami (Florida) | 12 | 83 | 114 | 20 | 217 | 18.1 |
| 94 | North Carolina | 11 | 77 | 100 | 21 | 198 | 18.0 |
| 95 | Oklahoma State | 11 | 96 | 86 | 15 | 197 | 17.9 |
| 95 | Pittsburgh | 11 | 73 | 104 | 20 | 197 | 17.9 |
| 95 | Tulane | 11 | 71 | 113 | 13 | 197 | 17.9 |
| 98 | Tennessee | 11 | 84 | 98 | 14 | 196 | 17.8 |
| 99 | Kansas State | 11 | 84 | 84 | 24 | 192 | 17.5 |
| 99 | Washington | 11 | 69 | 104 | 19 | 192 | 17.5 |
| 101 | San Jose State | 11 | 85 | 89 | 17 | 191 | 17.4 |
| 101 | Middle Tennessee | 11 | 73 | 103 | 15 | 191 | 17.4 |
| 103 | Kansas | 12 | 82 | 106 | 20 | 208 | 17.3 |
| 104 | South Carolina | 12 | 68 | 119 | 19 | 206 | 17.2 |
| 105 | Ball State | 11 | 78 | 95 | 15 | 188 | 17.1 |
| 106 | Troy | 11 | 89 | 79 | 18 | 186 | 16.9 |
| 107 | Kentucky | 11 | 86 | 80 | 18 | 184 | 16.7 |
| 108 | Florida Atlantic | 11 | 80 | 86 | 14 | 180 | 16.4 |
| 109 | SMU | 11 | 76 | 83 | 18 | 177 | 16.1 |
| 110 | Kent State | 11 | 39 | 115 | 22 | 176 | 16.0 |
| 111 | Buffalo | 11 | 76 | 76 | 19 | 171 | 15.5 |
| 112 | North Carolina State | 12 | 76 | 91 | 18 | 185 | 15.4 |
| 113 | Temple | 11 | 63 | 83 | 19 | 165 | 15.0 |
| 114 | Ohio | 11 | 92 | 51 | 19 | 162 | 14.7 |
| 115 | Mississippi State | 11 | 84 | 68 | 9 | 161 | 14.6 |
| 116 | Mississippi | 11 | 41 | 107 | 12 | 160 | 14.5 |
| 117 | Duke | 11 | 79 | 60 | 15 | 154 | 14.0 |
| 118 | North Texas | 11 | 74 | 62 | 15 | 151 | 13.7 |
| 119 | Syracuse | 11 | 58 | 71 | 13 | 142 | 12.9 |