2012 National Leaders Total Defense - Games vs. Ranked Teams Only (AP Poll) through 01/07/2013
| Name | G | Rush Yards | Pass Yards | Plays | Total Yards | Yards/Play | Yards/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah State | 1 | 4 | 467 | 92 | 471 | 5.12 | 471.0 |
| 2 | Connecticut | 1 | 27 | 374 | 93 | 401 | 4.31 | 401.0 |
| 3 | Rutgers | 1 | 42 | 322 | 80 | 364 | 4.55 | 364.0 |
| 4 | Western Kentucky | 1 | 103 | 225 | 51 | 328 | 6.43 | 328.0 |
| 5 | Cincinnati | 1 | 108 | 416 | 78 | 524 | 6.72 | 524.0 |
| 6 | Louisville | 1 | 111 | 175 | 59 | 286 | 4.85 | 286.0 |
| 7 | Virginia Tech | 2 | 120 | 486 | 133 | 606 | 4.56 | 303.0 |
| 8 | Florida International | 1 | 129 | 194 | 67 | 323 | 4.82 | 323.0 |
| 9 | East Carolina | 1 | 131 | 397 | 74 | 528 | 7.14 | 528.0 |
| 10 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 1 | 149 | 162 | 60 | 311 | 5.18 | 311.0 |
| 11 | Hawai'i | 1 | 155 | 256 | 75 | 411 | 5.48 | 411.0 |
| 12 | Temple | 1 | 170 | 338 | 65 | 508 | 7.82 | 508.0 |
| 13 | Syracuse | 2 | 172 | 637 | 139 | 809 | 5.82 | 404.5 |
| 14 | Army | 1 | 173 | 342 | 53 | 515 | 9.72 | 515.0 |
| 15 | Western Michigan | 1 | 179 | 274 | 68 | 453 | 6.66 | 453.0 |
| 16 | North Carolina | 1 | 183 | 279 | 71 | 462 | 6.51 | 462.0 |
| 17 | San Diego State | 2 | 189 | 454 | 116 | 643 | 5.54 | 321.5 |
| 18 | Bowling Green | 2 | 205 | 540 | 129 | 745 | 5.78 | 372.5 |
| 18 | UTEP | 1 | 205 | 222 | 73 | 427 | 5.85 | 427.0 |
| 20 | Air Force | 1 | 214 | 208 | 56 | 422 | 7.54 | 422.0 |
| 21 | Nevada | 1 | 215 | 219 | 69 | 434 | 6.29 | 434.0 |
| 22 | Utah | 2 | 216 | 390 | 121 | 606 | 5.01 | 303.0 |
| 23 | UTSA | 2 | 219 | 677 | 138 | 896 | 6.49 | 448.0 |
| 24 | SMU | 1 | 225 | 380 | 87 | 605 | 6.95 | 605.0 |
| 25 | Eastern Michigan | 1 | 242 | 173 | 66 | 415 | 6.29 | 415.0 |
| 26 | Northern Illinois | 1 | 243 | 291 | 75 | 534 | 7.12 | 534.0 |
| 27 | UCF | 1 | 256 | 155 | 75 | 411 | 5.48 | 411.0 |
| 28 | UNLV | 2 | 275 | 683 | 138 | 958 | 6.94 | 479.0 |
| 29 | Akron | 1 | 305 | 223 | 83 | 528 | 6.36 | 528.0 |
| 30 | South Florida | 2 | 310 | 498 | 125 | 808 | 6.46 | 404.0 |
| 31 | Kent State | 1 | 312 | 212 | 90 | 524 | 5.82 | 524.0 |
| 32 | Ohio State | 2 | 331 | 385 | 118 | 716 | 6.07 | 358.0 |
| 33 | New Mexico | 2 | 349 | 596 | 127 | 945 | 7.44 | 472.5 |
| 34 | San Jose State | 2 | 367 | 398 | 126 | 765 | 6.07 | 382.5 |
| 35 | Maryland | 2 | 372 | 461 | 143 | 833 | 5.83 | 416.5 |
| 36 | TCU | 3 | 378 | 603 | 198 | 981 | 4.95 | 327.0 |
| 37 | UAB | 2 | 383 | 465 | 115 | 848 | 7.37 | 424.0 |
| 38 | Pittsburgh | 2 | 387 | 595 | 162 | 982 | 6.06 | 491.0 |
| 39 | West Virginia | 3 | 389 | 1156 | 212 | 1545 | 7.29 | 515.0 |
| 40 | Navy | 2 | 401 | 477 | 147 | 878 | 5.97 | 439.0 |
| 41 | Central Michigan | 1 | 407 | 215 | 88 | 622 | 7.07 | 622.0 |
| 42 | Kansas State | 3 | 410 | 784 | 205 | 1194 | 5.82 | 398.0 |
| 43 | Oregon | 3 | 414 | 673 | 226 | 1087 | 4.81 | 362.3 |
| 44 | Oklahoma State | 3 | 433 | 1106 | 254 | 1539 | 6.06 | 513.0 |
| 45 | Northwestern | 3 | 435 | 845 | 212 | 1280 | 6.04 | 426.7 |
| 46 | Buffalo | 2 | 446 | 499 | 132 | 945 | 7.16 | 472.5 |
| 47 | North Texas | 2 | 459 | 422 | 120 | 881 | 7.34 | 440.5 |
| 47 | New Mexico State | 2 | 459 | 561 | 124 | 1020 | 8.23 | 510.0 |
| 49 | Florida State | 3 | 463 | 616 | 222 | 1079 | 4.86 | 359.7 |
| 49 | Texas State | 2 | 463 | 701 | 151 | 1164 | 7.71 | 582.0 |
| 51 | Idaho | 3 | 468 | 667 | 187 | 1135 | 6.07 | 378.3 |
| 51 | Ball State | 2 | 468 | 567 | 159 | 1035 | 6.51 | 517.5 |
| 53 | Texas Tech | 3 | 477 | 756 | 190 | 1233 | 6.49 | 411.0 |
| 54 | Wyoming | 2 | 494 | 379 | 143 | 873 | 6.10 | 436.5 |
| 55 | Minnesota | 3 | 496 | 612 | 190 | 1108 | 5.83 | 369.3 |
| 56 | Stanford | 4 | 504 | 834 | 278 | 1338 | 4.81 | 334.5 |
| 57 | Purdue | 3 | 508 | 619 | 213 | 1127 | 5.29 | 375.7 |
| 58 | Baylor | 3 | 510 | 837 | 233 | 1347 | 5.78 | 449.0 |
| 59 | Alabama | 5 | 518 | 1300 | 336 | 1818 | 5.41 | 363.6 |
| 60 | Washington State | 3 | 520 | 575 | 212 | 1095 | 5.17 | 365.0 |
| 60 | Clemson | 3 | 520 | 810 | 209 | 1330 | 6.36 | 443.3 |
| 62 | Toledo | 2 | 542 | 636 | 140 | 1178 | 8.41 | 589.0 |
| 63 | Georgia Tech | 3 | 562 | 746 | 200 | 1308 | 6.54 | 436.0 |
| 64 | Arizona State | 2 | 563 | 315 | 151 | 878 | 5.81 | 439.0 |
| 65 | North Carolina State | 3 | 570 | 752 | 236 | 1322 | 5.60 | 440.7 |
| 66 | Southern Mississippi | 3 | 571 | 640 | 206 | 1211 | 5.88 | 403.7 |
| 67 | Fresno State | 2 | 581 | 286 | 151 | 867 | 5.74 | 433.5 |
| 68 | Florida Atlantic | 2 | 584 | 632 | 136 | 1216 | 8.94 | 608.0 |
| 69 | Iowa State | 3 | 587 | 979 | 238 | 1566 | 6.58 | 522.0 |
| 70 | Notre Dame | 4 | 588 | 891 | 280 | 1479 | 5.28 | 369.8 |
| 71 | Miami (Ohio) | 2 | 589 | 548 | 162 | 1137 | 7.02 | 568.5 |
| 72 | BYU | 5 | 604 | 1103 | 315 | 1707 | 5.42 | 341.4 |
| 73 | Texas A&M | 4 | 606 | 849 | 287 | 1455 | 5.07 | 363.8 |
| 74 | LSU | 5 | 609 | 1025 | 376 | 1634 | 4.35 | 326.8 |
| 75 | Penn State | 3 | 613 | 449 | 210 | 1062 | 5.06 | 354.0 |
| 76 | Texas | 3 | 614 | 712 | 220 | 1326 | 6.03 | 442.0 |
| 77 | Colorado | 2 | 631 | 422 | 149 | 1053 | 7.07 | 526.5 |
| 78 | Arkansas | 4 | 636 | 1207 | 277 | 1843 | 6.65 | 460.8 |
| 79 | Florida | 7 | 643 | 1354 | 451 | 1997 | 4.43 | 285.3 |
| 80 | Arkansas State | 2 | 644 | 488 | 169 | 1132 | 6.70 | 566.0 |
| 81 | Arizona | 3 | 665 | 1060 | 254 | 1725 | 6.79 | 575.0 |
| 82 | Colorado State | 3 | 670 | 841 | 211 | 1511 | 7.16 | 503.7 |
| 83 | Duke | 3 | 692 | 959 | 208 | 1651 | 7.94 | 550.3 |
| 84 | Oregon State | 3 | 710 | 635 | 221 | 1345 | 6.09 | 448.3 |
| 85 | Indiana | 2 | 747 | 535 | 172 | 1282 | 7.45 | 641.0 |
| 86 | UCLA | 4 | 773 | 873 | 280 | 1646 | 5.88 | 411.5 |
| 87 | California | 4 | 795 | 1226 | 300 | 2021 | 6.74 | 505.3 |
| 88 | Nebraska | 4 | 808 | 768 | 272 | 1576 | 5.79 | 394.0 |
| 89 | South Carolina | 6 | 810 | 962 | 410 | 1772 | 4.32 | 295.3 |
| 90 | Mississippi State | 4 | 820 | 1036 | 305 | 1856 | 6.09 | 464.0 |
| 91 | Washington | 5 | 827 | 1179 | 355 | 2006 | 5.65 | 401.2 |
| 92 | Louisiana Tech | 3 | 832 | 1102 | 243 | 1934 | 7.96 | 644.7 |
| 93 | Oklahoma | 4 | 838 | 864 | 257 | 1702 | 6.62 | 425.5 |
| 94 | USC | 3 | 850 | 736 | 221 | 1586 | 7.18 | 528.7 |
| 95 | Massachusetts | 3 | 852 | 786 | 202 | 1638 | 8.11 | 546.0 |
| 96 | Kansas | 4 | 870 | 808 | 242 | 1678 | 6.93 | 419.5 |
| 97 | Miami (Florida) | 3 | 882 | 650 | 220 | 1532 | 6.96 | 510.7 |
| 98 | Boston College | 4 | 887 | 1291 | 320 | 2178 | 6.81 | 544.5 |
| 99 | Iowa | 4 | 895 | 515 | 240 | 1410 | 5.88 | 352.5 |
| 100 | Michigan State | 6 | 896 | 1095 | 397 | 1991 | 5.02 | 331.8 |
| 101 | Wake Forest | 4 | 910 | 1252 | 281 | 2162 | 7.69 | 540.5 |
| 102 | Kentucky | 5 | 923 | 1245 | 363 | 2168 | 5.97 | 433.6 |
| 103 | Georgia | 5 | 1000 | 950 | 342 | 1950 | 5.70 | 390.0 |
| 104 | Illinois | 3 | 1021 | 523 | 228 | 1544 | 6.77 | 514.7 |
| 105 | Vanderbilt | 4 | 1024 | 542 | 267 | 1566 | 5.87 | 391.5 |
| 106 | Michigan | 6 | 1026 | 1223 | 380 | 2249 | 5.92 | 374.8 |
| 107 | Wisconsin | 6 | 1072 | 1087 | 414 | 2159 | 5.21 | 359.8 |
| 108 | Missouri | 6 | 1115 | 1387 | 417 | 2502 | 6.00 | 417.0 |
| 109 | Mississippi | 6 | 1151 | 1642 | 432 | 2793 | 6.47 | 465.5 |
| 110 | Tennessee | 5 | 1184 | 1422 | 341 | 2606 | 7.64 | 521.2 |
| 111 | Auburn | 6 | 1619 | 1293 | 446 | 2912 | 6.53 | 485.3 |