2011 National Leaders First Downs - Games in December/January Only through 01/09/2012
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boise State | 2 | 18 | 37 | 3 | 58 | 29.0 |
| 2 | Baylor | 2 | 27 | 28 | 2 | 57 | 28.5 |
| 3 | San Diego State | 2 | 13 | 34 | 5 | 52 | 26.0 |
| 3 | Houston | 2 | 12 | 37 | 3 | 52 | 26.0 |
| 5 | Nevada | 2 | 26 | 21 | 3 | 50 | 25.0 |
| 6 | Clemson | 2 | 20 | 26 | 3 | 49 | 24.5 |
| 7 | West Virginia | 2 | 18 | 27 | 3 | 48 | 24.0 |
| 8 | Arkansas State | 2 | 13 | 31 | 3 | 47 | 23.5 |
| 9 | Utah State | 2 | 35 | 10 | 1 | 46 | 23.0 |
| 9 | BYU | 2 | 15 | 29 | 2 | 46 | 23.0 |
| 11 | Oregon | 2 | 24 | 19 | 0 | 43 | 21.5 |
| 11 | Iowa State | 2 | 21 | 19 | 3 | 43 | 21.5 |
| 11 | Ohio | 2 | 18 | 20 | 5 | 43 | 21.5 |
| 14 | TCU | 2 | 21 | 16 | 4 | 41 | 20.5 |
| 14 | Virginia Tech | 2 | 15 | 23 | 3 | 41 | 20.5 |
| 16 | Southern Mississippi | 2 | 19 | 19 | 2 | 40 | 20.0 |
| 16 | Oklahoma | 2 | 12 | 26 | 2 | 40 | 20.0 |
| 18 | Kansas State | 2 | 20 | 17 | 2 | 39 | 19.5 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | 2 | 13 | 21 | 5 | 39 | 19.5 |
| 20 | Cincinnati | 2 | 20 | 14 | 4 | 38 | 19.0 |
| 20 | Oklahoma State | 2 | 12 | 24 | 2 | 38 | 19.0 |
| 20 | Michigan State | 2 | 11 | 27 | 0 | 38 | 19.0 |
| 23 | Northern Illinois | 2 | 13 | 21 | 2 | 36 | 18.0 |
| 24 | Wyoming | 2 | 21 | 13 | 1 | 35 | 17.5 |
| 24 | Texas | 2 | 16 | 16 | 3 | 35 | 17.5 |
| 26 | UCLA | 2 | 12 | 17 | 5 | 34 | 17.0 |
| 26 | Georgia | 2 | 9 | 20 | 5 | 34 | 17.0 |
| 28 | Pittsburgh | 2 | 5 | 22 | 5 | 32 | 16.0 |
| 29 | Western Michigan | 1 | 5 | 20 | 5 | 30 | 30.0 |
| 30 | Missouri | 1 | 18 | 8 | 1 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 30 | Stanford | 1 | 9 | 17 | 1 | 27 | 27.0 |
| 32 | Washington | 1 | 10 | 15 | 1 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 33 | Colorado State | 1 | 16 | 7 | 2 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 33 | Virginia | 1 | 7 | 16 | 2 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 33 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 1 | 5 | 19 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 |
| 36 | South Florida | 1 | 10 | 11 | 3 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 36 | Northwestern | 1 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 38 | Temple | 1 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 38 | Purdue | 1 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 38 | Troy | 1 | 5 | 15 | 3 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 41 | Auburn | 1 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 41 | Texas A&M | 1 | 5 | 15 | 2 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 41 | Arizona State | 1 | 1 | 17 | 4 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 44 | Navy | 1 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 44 | Alabama | 1 | 9 | 12 | 0 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 44 | Wake Forest | 1 | 7 | 12 | 2 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 44 | Iowa | 1 | 5 | 14 | 2 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 48 | North Texas | 1 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 48 | Louisiana-Monroe | 1 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 48 | Air Force | 1 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 48 | Ohio State | 1 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 48 | Syracuse | 1 | 6 | 12 | 2 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 48 | North Carolina | 1 | 2 | 16 | 2 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 54 | Army | 1 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 54 | Georgia Tech | 1 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 54 | Notre Dame | 1 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 54 | Louisiana Tech | 1 | 4 | 13 | 2 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 54 | North Carolina State | 1 | 4 | 12 | 3 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 59 | Louisville | 1 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 59 | LSU | 2 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 9.0 |
| 61 | Illinois | 1 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 61 | Rutgers | 1 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 61 | Toledo | 1 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 61 | Nebraska | 1 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 61 | New Mexico State | 1 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 66 | South Carolina | 1 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 16 | 16.0 |
| 66 | Hawai'i | 1 | 1 | 12 | 3 | 16 | 16.0 |
| 68 | Connecticut | 1 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 15 | 15.0 |
| 68 | California | 1 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 15 | 15.0 |
| 68 | Tulsa | 1 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 15 | 15.0 |
| 71 | Penn State | 1 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 14.0 |
| 71 | Mississippi State | 1 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 14.0 |
| 71 | Florida | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 14.0 |
| 71 | Utah | 1 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 14.0 |
| 71 | Vanderbilt | 1 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 14 | 14.0 |
| 71 | Marshall | 1 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 14 | 14.0 |
| 77 | Middle Tennessee | 1 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 13.0 |
| 77 | Arkansas | 1 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 13 | 13.0 |
| 77 | Florida State | 1 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 13 | 13.0 |
| 77 | Fresno State | 1 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 13 | 13.0 |
| 77 | Idaho | 1 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 13.0 |
| 77 | SMU | 1 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 13.0 |
| 83 | Florida International | 1 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 12 | 12.0 |
| 83 | Michigan | 1 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 12 | 12.0 |
| 85 | Florida Atlantic | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 10.0 |
| 86 | New Mexico | 1 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 8.0 |
| 87 | UNLV | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 6.0 |