2012 National Leaders Opponent First Downs - Games Won Only through 01/07/2013
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Akron | 1 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 12 | 12.0 |
| 2 | Kansas | 1 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 2 | New Mexico State | 1 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 4 | Illinois | 2 | 5 | 12 | 2 | 19 | 9.5 |
| 5 | Colorado | 1 | 4 | 19 | 0 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 5 | Idaho | 1 | 5 | 16 | 2 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 1 | 7 | 17 | 0 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 8 | Boston College | 2 | 8 | 18 | 2 | 28 | 14.0 |
| 9 | Kentucky | 2 | 14 | 16 | 3 | 33 | 16.5 |
| 10 | Hawai'i | 3 | 12 | 16 | 6 | 34 | 11.3 |
| 11 | South Alabama | 2 | 10 | 21 | 7 | 38 | 19.0 |
| 11 | Army | 2 | 16 | 19 | 3 | 38 | 19.0 |
| 13 | Eastern Michigan | 2 | 22 | 17 | 3 | 42 | 21.0 |
| 14 | UAB | 3 | 20 | 18 | 5 | 43 | 14.3 |
| 15 | Florida Atlantic | 3 | 20 | 21 | 3 | 44 | 14.7 |
| 16 | UNLV | 2 | 39 | 2 | 5 | 46 | 23.0 |
| 17 | Auburn | 3 | 14 | 31 | 9 | 54 | 18.0 |
| 18 | Maryland | 4 | 24 | 25 | 6 | 55 | 13.8 |
| 19 | Iowa | 4 | 21 | 33 | 3 | 57 | 14.3 |
| 20 | Tulane | 2 | 23 | 30 | 5 | 58 | 29.0 |
| 21 | Florida International | 3 | 15 | 40 | 6 | 61 | 20.3 |
| 21 | South Florida | 3 | 21 | 33 | 7 | 61 | 20.3 |
| 23 | North Texas | 4 | 26 | 30 | 8 | 64 | 16.0 |
| 24 | Arkansas | 4 | 26 | 36 | 3 | 65 | 16.3 |
| 24 | Washington State | 3 | 14 | 41 | 10 | 65 | 21.7 |
| 26 | Memphis | 4 | 21 | 34 | 12 | 67 | 16.8 |
| 26 | California | 3 | 15 | 42 | 10 | 67 | 22.3 |
| 28 | New Mexico | 4 | 18 | 45 | 6 | 69 | 17.3 |
| 29 | Virginia | 4 | 23 | 42 | 7 | 72 | 18.0 |
| 29 | UTEP | 3 | 23 | 40 | 9 | 72 | 24.0 |
| 31 | Connecticut | 5 | 23 | 47 | 3 | 73 | 14.6 |
| 31 | Colorado State | 4 | 27 | 35 | 11 | 73 | 18.3 |
| 31 | Indiana | 4 | 33 | 36 | 4 | 73 | 18.3 |
| 34 | Western Michigan | 4 | 20 | 55 | 7 | 82 | 20.5 |
| 35 | Temple | 4 | 42 | 34 | 7 | 83 | 20.8 |
| 36 | Michigan State | 7 | 16 | 55 | 14 | 85 | 12.1 |
| 36 | Buffalo | 4 | 26 | 48 | 11 | 85 | 21.3 |
| 38 | Texas State | 4 | 29 | 51 | 7 | 87 | 21.8 |
| 39 | Utah | 5 | 27 | 52 | 11 | 90 | 18.0 |
| 40 | Pittsburgh | 6 | 29 | 48 | 14 | 91 | 15.2 |
| 41 | Washington | 7 | 38 | 50 | 9 | 97 | 13.9 |
| 41 | Troy | 5 | 53 | 38 | 6 | 97 | 19.4 |
| 41 | Miami (Ohio) | 4 | 37 | 57 | 3 | 97 | 24.3 |
| 41 | Wyoming | 4 | 43 | 49 | 5 | 97 | 24.3 |
| 45 | North Carolina State | 7 | 47 | 47 | 7 | 101 | 14.4 |
| 46 | Missouri | 5 | 39 | 55 | 8 | 102 | 20.4 |
| 46 | Wake Forest | 5 | 40 | 57 | 5 | 102 | 20.4 |
| 48 | Virginia Tech | 7 | 41 | 49 | 13 | 103 | 14.7 |
| 49 | Georgia Tech | 7 | 35 | 63 | 6 | 104 | 14.9 |
| 50 | Bowling Green | 8 | 34 | 57 | 15 | 106 | 13.3 |
| 51 | BYU | 8 | 34 | 58 | 16 | 108 | 13.5 |
| 51 | Minnesota | 6 | 43 | 55 | 10 | 108 | 18.0 |
| 53 | Houston | 5 | 42 | 59 | 8 | 109 | 21.8 |
| 54 | Iowa State | 6 | 36 | 68 | 6 | 110 | 18.3 |
| 55 | Duke | 6 | 51 | 56 | 6 | 113 | 18.8 |
| 56 | TCU | 7 | 39 | 68 | 9 | 116 | 16.6 |
| 57 | Purdue | 6 | 49 | 60 | 9 | 118 | 19.7 |
| 58 | Rice | 7 | 47 | 60 | 12 | 119 | 17.0 |
| 58 | Tennessee | 5 | 36 | 70 | 13 | 119 | 23.8 |
| 60 | Mississippi | 7 | 36 | 74 | 10 | 120 | 17.1 |
| 61 | Wisconsin | 8 | 40 | 74 | 9 | 123 | 15.4 |
| 62 | Air Force | 6 | 55 | 65 | 4 | 124 | 20.7 |
| 63 | Marshall | 5 | 48 | 61 | 16 | 125 | 25.0 |
| 64 | UTSA | 6 | 29 | 82 | 17 | 128 | 21.3 |
| 65 | Western Kentucky | 7 | 51 | 62 | 17 | 130 | 18.6 |
| 66 | Central Michigan | 7 | 57 | 70 | 6 | 133 | 19.0 |
| 67 | USC | 7 | 50 | 74 | 12 | 136 | 19.4 |
| 68 | Texas Tech | 8 | 73 | 53 | 12 | 138 | 17.3 |
| 69 | Penn State | 8 | 48 | 82 | 11 | 141 | 17.6 |
| 70 | North Carolina | 8 | 49 | 79 | 15 | 143 | 17.9 |
| 70 | SMU | 7 | 35 | 102 | 6 | 143 | 20.4 |
| 72 | Michigan | 8 | 71 | 60 | 13 | 144 | 18.0 |
| 72 | Arizona State | 8 | 80 | 53 | 11 | 144 | 18.0 |
| 74 | Oklahoma State | 8 | 58 | 81 | 8 | 147 | 18.4 |
| 75 | Fresno State | 9 | 66 | 67 | 15 | 148 | 16.4 |
| 76 | Rutgers | 9 | 56 | 78 | 17 | 151 | 16.8 |
| 76 | Mississippi State | 8 | 70 | 72 | 9 | 151 | 18.9 |
| 78 | Nevada | 7 | 56 | 79 | 17 | 152 | 21.7 |
| 79 | West Virginia | 7 | 66 | 77 | 10 | 153 | 21.9 |
| 80 | Vanderbilt | 9 | 55 | 88 | 11 | 154 | 17.1 |
| 81 | Navy | 8 | 90 | 62 | 4 | 156 | 19.5 |
| 82 | Louisiana-Monroe | 8 | 56 | 88 | 13 | 157 | 19.6 |
| 83 | Syracuse | 8 | 57 | 87 | 14 | 158 | 19.8 |
| 84 | Florida State | 12 | 61 | 81 | 19 | 161 | 13.4 |
| 84 | Nebraska | 10 | 64 | 71 | 26 | 161 | 16.1 |
| 86 | Oregon State | 9 | 57 | 88 | 20 | 165 | 18.3 |
| 87 | East Carolina | 8 | 54 | 94 | 18 | 166 | 20.8 |
| 88 | LSU | 10 | 51 | 94 | 23 | 168 | 16.8 |
| 89 | Alabama | 13 | 58 | 100 | 11 | 169 | 13.0 |
| 90 | Miami (Florida) | 7 | 71 | 80 | 22 | 173 | 24.7 |
| 91 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 9 | 57 | 106 | 18 | 181 | 20.1 |
| 91 | Middle Tennessee | 8 | 76 | 98 | 7 | 181 | 22.6 |
| 93 | San Diego State | 9 | 87 | 77 | 18 | 182 | 20.2 |
| 93 | Texas | 9 | 96 | 71 | 15 | 182 | 20.2 |
| 95 | Oklahoma | 10 | 81 | 85 | 19 | 185 | 18.5 |
| 96 | Boise State | 11 | 92 | 79 | 15 | 186 | 16.9 |
| 97 | Arkansas State | 10 | 69 | 104 | 14 | 187 | 18.7 |
| 98 | Tulsa | 11 | 72 | 98 | 18 | 188 | 17.1 |
| 99 | Florida | 11 | 64 | 99 | 26 | 189 | 17.2 |
| 100 | UCLA | 9 | 66 | 96 | 28 | 190 | 21.1 |
| 101 | Clemson | 11 | 80 | 95 | 17 | 192 | 17.5 |
| 102 | Notre Dame | 12 | 61 | 117 | 15 | 193 | 16.1 |
| 102 | San Jose State | 11 | 72 | 108 | 13 | 193 | 17.5 |
| 104 | South Carolina | 11 | 87 | 93 | 15 | 195 | 17.7 |
| 104 | Baylor | 8 | 73 | 108 | 14 | 195 | 24.4 |
| 106 | Toledo | 9 | 67 | 107 | 22 | 196 | 21.8 |
| 107 | Arizona | 8 | 89 | 95 | 13 | 197 | 24.6 |
| 108 | Northwestern | 10 | 67 | 118 | 13 | 198 | 19.8 |
| 109 | UCF | 10 | 80 | 104 | 15 | 199 | 19.9 |
| 110 | Ohio | 9 | 70 | 111 | 20 | 201 | 22.3 |
| 111 | Louisville | 11 | 88 | 94 | 20 | 202 | 18.4 |
| 112 | Cincinnati | 10 | 68 | 124 | 15 | 207 | 20.7 |
| 113 | Utah State | 11 | 76 | 101 | 31 | 208 | 18.9 |
| 114 | Ball State | 9 | 92 | 99 | 18 | 209 | 23.2 |
| 115 | Ohio State | 12 | 67 | 122 | 30 | 219 | 18.3 |
| 116 | Kansas State | 11 | 72 | 136 | 12 | 220 | 20.0 |
| 117 | Georgia | 12 | 113 | 93 | 15 | 221 | 18.4 |
| 118 | Stanford | 12 | 68 | 133 | 21 | 222 | 18.5 |
| 119 | Louisiana Tech | 9 | 73 | 130 | 24 | 227 | 25.2 |
| 120 | Kent State | 11 | 78 | 142 | 14 | 234 | 21.3 |
| 120 | Texas A&M | 11 | 85 | 132 | 17 | 234 | 21.3 |
| 122 | Oregon | 12 | 102 | 124 | 29 | 255 | 21.3 |
| 123 | Northern Illinois | 12 | 113 | 129 | 25 | 267 | 22.3 |