2008 National Leaders Opponent First Downs - All Games through 11/15/2008
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TCU | 11 | 28 | 79 | 28 | 135 | 12.3 |
| 2 | Alabama | 11 | 44 | 91 | 13 | 148 | 13.5 |
| 3 | Penn State | 11 | 65 | 84 | 7 | 156 | 14.2 |
| 4 | Virginia Tech | 10 | 59 | 79 | 9 | 147 | 14.7 |
| 5 | Arizona | 10 | 70 | 69 | 9 | 148 | 14.8 |
| 6 | USC | 10 | 57 | 71 | 23 | 151 | 15.1 |
| 7 | LSU | 10 | 54 | 82 | 16 | 152 | 15.2 |
| 8 | Boston College | 10 | 57 | 80 | 16 | 153 | 15.3 |
| 9 | Utah | 11 | 60 | 85 | 24 | 169 | 15.4 |
| 10 | Oregon State | 10 | 58 | 82 | 15 | 155 | 15.5 |
| 10 | Connecticut | 10 | 64 | 76 | 15 | 155 | 15.5 |
| 12 | Florida | 10 | 62 | 77 | 17 | 156 | 15.6 |
| 12 | Rutgers | 10 | 70 | 77 | 9 | 156 | 15.6 |
| 14 | South Carolina | 11 | 78 | 78 | 17 | 173 | 15.7 |
| 15 | Mississippi State | 10 | 78 | 64 | 16 | 158 | 15.8 |
| 16 | East Carolina | 10 | 64 | 82 | 13 | 159 | 15.9 |
| 17 | South Florida | 10 | 51 | 86 | 23 | 160 | 16.0 |
| 17 | Florida State | 10 | 65 | 66 | 29 | 160 | 16.0 |
| 17 | Miami (Florida) | 10 | 69 | 70 | 21 | 160 | 16.0 |
| 17 | Clemson | 10 | 74 | 75 | 11 | 160 | 16.0 |
| 17 | Kentucky | 11 | 79 | 82 | 15 | 176 | 16.0 |
| 22 | Army | 10 | 69 | 80 | 13 | 162 | 16.2 |
| 23 | Boise State | 10 | 63 | 81 | 19 | 163 | 16.3 |
| 23 | Georgia Tech | 10 | 70 | 83 | 10 | 163 | 16.3 |
| 25 | Wake Forest | 10 | 65 | 89 | 11 | 165 | 16.5 |
| 25 | UCF | 10 | 68 | 84 | 13 | 165 | 16.5 |
| 27 | Auburn | 11 | 72 | 95 | 16 | 183 | 16.6 |
| 27 | San Jose State | 11 | 80 | 88 | 15 | 183 | 16.6 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | 11 | 61 | 105 | 18 | 184 | 16.7 |
| 30 | Pittsburgh | 9 | 67 | 71 | 13 | 151 | 16.8 |
| 30 | Tennessee | 10 | 64 | 86 | 18 | 168 | 16.8 |
| 30 | Northern Illinois | 10 | 69 | 83 | 16 | 168 | 16.8 |
| 33 | Memphis | 10 | 78 | 82 | 9 | 169 | 16.9 |
| 34 | Notre Dame | 10 | 71 | 85 | 14 | 170 | 17.0 |
| 35 | Ohio State | 11 | 82 | 91 | 15 | 188 | 17.1 |
| 36 | Louisville | 10 | 55 | 99 | 18 | 172 | 17.2 |
| 36 | Wyoming | 11 | 77 | 92 | 20 | 189 | 17.2 |
| 38 | Duke | 10 | 66 | 94 | 13 | 173 | 17.3 |
| 38 | Michigan State | 11 | 80 | 89 | 21 | 190 | 17.3 |
| 40 | Michigan | 11 | 74 | 99 | 18 | 191 | 17.4 |
| 41 | Mississippi | 10 | 72 | 87 | 16 | 175 | 17.5 |
| 41 | Iowa | 11 | 64 | 112 | 16 | 192 | 17.5 |
| 43 | California | 10 | 76 | 86 | 15 | 177 | 17.7 |
| 44 | Georgia | 11 | 66 | 98 | 32 | 196 | 17.8 |
| 45 | Miami (Ohio) | 10 | 85 | 82 | 12 | 179 | 17.9 |
| 45 | New Mexico | 12 | 89 | 113 | 13 | 215 | 17.9 |
| 47 | Arkansas State | 9 | 63 | 85 | 14 | 162 | 18.0 |
| 48 | Vanderbilt | 10 | 91 | 84 | 6 | 181 | 18.1 |
| 49 | West Virginia | 9 | 70 | 82 | 12 | 164 | 18.2 |
| 49 | Louisiana Tech | 10 | 57 | 115 | 10 | 182 | 18.2 |
| 49 | UCLA | 10 | 89 | 82 | 11 | 182 | 18.2 |
| 49 | Air Force | 11 | 82 | 103 | 15 | 200 | 18.2 |
| 53 | Nevada | 10 | 43 | 121 | 19 | 183 | 18.3 |
| 53 | Nebraska | 11 | 79 | 99 | 23 | 201 | 18.3 |
| 55 | Cincinnati | 10 | 57 | 105 | 22 | 184 | 18.4 |
| 55 | Oklahoma | 10 | 67 | 100 | 17 | 184 | 18.4 |
| 57 | Minnesota | 11 | 77 | 113 | 14 | 204 | 18.5 |
| 57 | Illinois | 11 | 94 | 97 | 13 | 204 | 18.5 |
| 59 | Middle Tennessee | 10 | 79 | 94 | 13 | 186 | 18.6 |
| 59 | Tulane | 10 | 80 | 90 | 16 | 186 | 18.6 |
| 59 | Virginia | 10 | 88 | 87 | 11 | 186 | 18.6 |
| 62 | Arizona State | 10 | 73 | 89 | 25 | 187 | 18.7 |
| 62 | Ball State | 10 | 85 | 97 | 5 | 187 | 18.7 |
| 62 | Texas | 11 | 55 | 130 | 21 | 206 | 18.7 |
| 65 | Arkansas | 10 | 90 | 90 | 9 | 189 | 18.9 |
| 65 | Northwestern | 11 | 95 | 98 | 15 | 208 | 18.9 |
| 67 | Troy | 10 | 83 | 90 | 17 | 190 | 19.0 |
| 67 | Ohio | 10 | 88 | 81 | 21 | 190 | 19.0 |
| 69 | Kent State | 10 | 89 | 97 | 5 | 191 | 19.1 |
| 69 | Eastern Michigan | 10 | 100 | 77 | 13 | 191 | 19.1 |
| 71 | Hawai'i | 10 | 82 | 93 | 17 | 192 | 19.2 |
| 72 | Western Michigan | 11 | 71 | 131 | 13 | 215 | 19.5 |
| 73 | Maryland | 10 | 83 | 106 | 7 | 196 | 19.6 |
| 73 | Navy | 10 | 84 | 107 | 5 | 196 | 19.6 |
| 75 | Purdue | 11 | 108 | 93 | 16 | 217 | 19.7 |
| 76 | Central Michigan | 10 | 65 | 112 | 22 | 199 | 19.9 |
| 77 | BYU | 11 | 90 | 109 | 23 | 222 | 20.2 |
| 78 | Bowling Green | 10 | 94 | 92 | 17 | 203 | 20.3 |
| 78 | Fresno State | 10 | 106 | 85 | 12 | 203 | 20.3 |
| 80 | Oregon | 11 | 69 | 130 | 25 | 224 | 20.4 |
| 81 | Texas Tech | 10 | 78 | 113 | 14 | 205 | 20.5 |
| 81 | Southern Mississippi | 11 | 87 | 120 | 18 | 225 | 20.5 |
| 81 | Colorado | 11 | 105 | 104 | 17 | 226 | 20.5 |
| 84 | Buffalo | 10 | 79 | 118 | 10 | 207 | 20.7 |
| 84 | Western Kentucky | 11 | 101 | 110 | 17 | 228 | 20.7 |
| 86 | North Carolina | 10 | 91 | 100 | 17 | 208 | 20.8 |
| 87 | Houston | 10 | 96 | 94 | 19 | 210 | 21.0 |
| 87 | Temple | 10 | 99 | 95 | 16 | 210 | 21.0 |
| 89 | New Mexico State | 10 | 115 | 80 | 16 | 211 | 21.1 |
| 89 | UNLV | 11 | 124 | 95 | 13 | 232 | 21.1 |
| 91 | Florida International | 9 | 96 | 80 | 15 | 191 | 21.2 |
| 91 | UAB | 10 | 84 | 109 | 19 | 212 | 21.2 |
| 91 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 10 | 96 | 101 | 15 | 212 | 21.2 |
| 91 | Colorado State | 11 | 104 | 116 | 13 | 233 | 21.2 |
| 95 | Florida Atlantic | 10 | 106 | 80 | 27 | 213 | 21.3 |
| 95 | Kansas | 11 | 79 | 139 | 16 | 234 | 21.3 |
| 97 | Tulsa | 10 | 75 | 124 | 15 | 214 | 21.4 |
| 98 | Louisiana-Monroe | 11 | 107 | 113 | 16 | 236 | 21.5 |
| 99 | Stanford | 11 | 87 | 127 | 24 | 238 | 21.6 |
| 100 | Missouri | 11 | 84 | 143 | 16 | 243 | 22.1 |
| 101 | Toledo | 10 | 98 | 106 | 20 | 224 | 22.4 |
| 101 | Marshall | 10 | 100 | 110 | 14 | 224 | 22.4 |
| 103 | North Carolina State | 10 | 94 | 118 | 13 | 225 | 22.5 |
| 103 | Oklahoma State | 11 | 77 | 155 | 15 | 247 | 22.5 |
| 103 | Iowa State | 11 | 105 | 128 | 14 | 247 | 22.5 |
| 103 | Washington State | 11 | 130 | 95 | 22 | 247 | 22.5 |
| 107 | Baylor | 11 | 104 | 129 | 16 | 249 | 22.6 |
| 108 | Indiana | 11 | 113 | 125 | 13 | 251 | 22.8 |
| 109 | Syracuse | 10 | 110 | 108 | 11 | 229 | 22.9 |
| 110 | UTEP | 10 | 108 | 106 | 18 | 232 | 23.2 |
| 110 | Utah State | 11 | 106 | 127 | 22 | 255 | 23.2 |
| 112 | North Texas | 10 | 100 | 122 | 11 | 233 | 23.3 |
| 112 | Washington | 10 | 125 | 97 | 11 | 233 | 23.3 |
| 114 | Akron | 10 | 118 | 99 | 17 | 234 | 23.4 |
| 115 | San Diego State | 11 | 156 | 98 | 10 | 264 | 24.0 |
| 116 | Rice | 10 | 111 | 122 | 13 | 246 | 24.6 |
| 117 | Kansas State | 11 | 126 | 130 | 16 | 272 | 24.7 |
| 117 | Idaho | 11 | 127 | 127 | 18 | 272 | 24.7 |
| 119 | Texas A&M | 11 | 130 | 128 | 17 | 275 | 25.0 |
| 120 | SMU | 11 | 133 | 130 | 17 | 280 | 25.5 |