2012 Mid-American Conference Leaders First Downs - Games vs. Non-Conference Teams Only through 01/07/2013
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ball State | 5 | 51 | 63 | 15 | 129 | 25.8 |
| 2 | Akron | 4 | 30 | 66 | 6 | 102 | 25.5 |
| 3 | Ohio | 5 | 50 | 56 | 14 | 120 | 24.0 |
| 4 | Toledo | 5 | 49 | 49 | 10 | 108 | 21.6 |
| 5 | Western Michigan | 4 | 28 | 50 | 6 | 84 | 21.0 |
| 6 | Central Michigan | 5 | 42 | 50 | 9 | 101 | 20.2 |
| 7 | Buffalo | 4 | 41 | 32 | 7 | 80 | 20.0 |
| 8 | Northern Illinois | 5 | 41 | 45 | 10 | 96 | 19.2 |
| 9 | Bowling Green | 5 | 38 | 48 | 8 | 94 | 18.8 |
| 10 | Kent State | 5 | 46 | 37 | 8 | 91 | 18.2 |
| 11 | Miami (Ohio) | 4 | 13 | 47 | 5 | 65 | 16.3 |
| 12 | Eastern Michigan | 4 | 28 | 29 | 4 | 61 | 15.3 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | 4 | 19 | 27 | 2 | 48 | 12.0 |