2012 National Leaders Total Defense - Games in December/January Only through 01/07/2013
| Name | G | Rush Yards | Pass Yards | Plays | Total Yards | Yards/Play | Yards/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMU | 1 | -16 | 362 | 77 | 346 | 4.49 | 346.0 |
| 2 | Bowling Green | 1 | -15 | 395 | 66 | 380 | 5.76 | 380.0 |
| 3 | Rutgers | 1 | 3 | 193 | 72 | 196 | 2.72 | 196.0 |
| 4 | Hawai'i | 1 | 18 | 148 | 65 | 166 | 2.55 | 166.0 |
| 5 | Vanderbilt | 1 | 41 | 383 | 78 | 424 | 5.44 | 424.0 |
| 6 | San Diego State | 1 | 52 | 244 | 74 | 296 | 4.00 | 296.0 |
| 7 | Virginia Tech | 1 | 67 | 129 | 79 | 196 | 2.48 | 196.0 |
| 8 | Florida | 1 | 70 | 266 | 68 | 336 | 4.94 | 336.0 |
| 9 | Kent State | 1 | 72 | 213 | 68 | 285 | 4.19 | 285.0 |
| 9 | Connecticut | 1 | 72 | 284 | 62 | 356 | 5.74 | 356.0 |
| 11 | Mississippi | 1 | 81 | 185 | 68 | 266 | 3.91 | 266.0 |
| 12 | Michigan | 1 | 85 | 341 | 53 | 426 | 8.04 | 426.0 |
| 13 | Michigan State | 1 | 87 | 201 | 59 | 288 | 4.88 | 288.0 |
| 14 | Syracuse | 1 | 88 | 197 | 61 | 285 | 4.67 | 285.0 |
| 15 | Ohio | 1 | 95 | 219 | 78 | 314 | 4.03 | 314.0 |
| 16 | Clemson | 1 | 99 | 120 | 48 | 219 | 4.56 | 219.0 |
| 16 | LSU | 1 | 99 | 346 | 100 | 445 | 4.45 | 445.0 |
| 18 | San Jose State | 1 | 105 | 159 | 65 | 264 | 4.06 | 264.0 |
| 19 | Washington | 1 | 109 | 298 | 75 | 407 | 5.43 | 407.0 |
| 20 | Louisville | 1 | 111 | 175 | 59 | 286 | 4.85 | 286.0 |
| 21 | South Florida | 1 | 116 | 211 | 72 | 327 | 4.54 | 327.0 |
| 22 | North Carolina State | 1 | 117 | 108 | 68 | 225 | 3.31 | 225.0 |
| 23 | BYU | 1 | 119 | 144 | 68 | 263 | 3.87 | 263.0 |
| 24 | Texas A&M | 1 | 123 | 278 | 83 | 401 | 4.83 | 401.0 |
| 25 | Central Michigan | 1 | 128 | 199 | 56 | 327 | 5.84 | 327.0 |
| 26 | Oregon | 1 | 132 | 151 | 70 | 283 | 4.04 | 283.0 |
| 27 | Western Kentucky | 1 | 140 | 253 | 65 | 393 | 6.05 | 393.0 |
| 28 | South Carolina | 1 | 141 | 214 | 82 | 355 | 4.33 | 355.0 |
| 29 | Utah State | 1 | 142 | 173 | 76 | 315 | 4.14 | 315.0 |
| 30 | Alabama | 2 | 145 | 551 | 118 | 696 | 5.90 | 348.0 |
| 30 | Minnesota | 1 | 145 | 284 | 71 | 429 | 6.04 | 429.0 |
| 32 | Mississippi State | 1 | 161 | 196 | 76 | 357 | 4.70 | 357.0 |
| 33 | Rice | 1 | 166 | 48 | 60 | 214 | 3.57 | 214.0 |
| 33 | Oregon State | 2 | 166 | 415 | 115 | 581 | 5.05 | 290.5 |
| 35 | Army | 1 | 167 | 130 | 64 | 297 | 4.64 | 297.0 |
| 36 | Fresno State | 1 | 169 | 212 | 65 | 381 | 5.86 | 381.0 |
| 37 | Texas State | 1 | 171 | 248 | 71 | 419 | 5.90 | 419.0 |
| 38 | Northwestern | 1 | 186 | 106 | 62 | 292 | 4.71 | 292.0 |
| 39 | Air Force | 1 | 208 | 295 | 83 | 503 | 6.06 | 503.0 |
| 40 | Purdue | 1 | 213 | 311 | 75 | 524 | 6.99 | 524.0 |
| 41 | Stanford | 1 | 218 | 83 | 62 | 301 | 4.85 | 301.0 |
| 42 | Louisiana-Monroe | 1 | 219 | 337 | 61 | 556 | 9.11 | 556.0 |
| 43 | Texas Tech | 1 | 222 | 146 | 73 | 368 | 5.04 | 368.0 |
| 43 | Ball State | 1 | 222 | 272 | 75 | 494 | 6.59 | 494.0 |
| 43 | Duke | 1 | 222 | 332 | 53 | 554 | 10.45 | 554.0 |
| 46 | South Alabama | 1 | 229 | 181 | 70 | 410 | 5.86 | 410.0 |
| 47 | Pittsburgh | 2 | 232 | 272 | 134 | 504 | 3.76 | 252.0 |
| 48 | Tulsa | 2 | 234 | 364 | 125 | 598 | 4.78 | 299.0 |
| 49 | Cincinnati | 2 | 236 | 697 | 165 | 933 | 5.65 | 466.5 |
| 50 | Kansas | 1 | 240 | 407 | 71 | 647 | 9.11 | 647.0 |
| 51 | Northern Illinois | 1 | 243 | 291 | 75 | 534 | 7.12 | 534.0 |
| 52 | Baylor | 2 | 251 | 671 | 170 | 922 | 5.42 | 461.0 |
| 53 | Notre Dame | 1 | 265 | 264 | 73 | 529 | 7.25 | 529.0 |
| 54 | Florida State | 2 | 266 | 294 | 141 | 560 | 3.97 | 280.0 |
| 55 | East Carolina | 1 | 267 | 324 | 77 | 591 | 7.68 | 591.0 |
| 56 | Texas | 2 | 271 | 378 | 130 | 649 | 4.99 | 324.5 |
| 57 | Middle Tennessee | 1 | 274 | 238 | 68 | 512 | 7.53 | 512.0 |
| 58 | Arkansas State | 2 | 282 | 271 | 124 | 553 | 4.46 | 276.5 |
| 59 | Florida Atlantic | 1 | 284 | 168 | 70 | 452 | 6.46 | 452.0 |
| 60 | Georgia Tech | 2 | 292 | 241 | 117 | 533 | 4.56 | 266.5 |
| 60 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 2 | 292 | 657 | 139 | 949 | 6.83 | 474.5 |
| 62 | USC | 1 | 294 | 75 | 73 | 369 | 5.05 | 369.0 |
| 63 | TCU | 2 | 300 | 348 | 141 | 648 | 4.60 | 324.0 |
| 64 | UCLA | 1 | 306 | 188 | 80 | 494 | 6.18 | 494.0 |
| 65 | Arizona State | 1 | 313 | 37 | 67 | 350 | 5.22 | 350.0 |
| 66 | Iowa State | 1 | 317 | 93 | 83 | 410 | 4.94 | 410.0 |
| 67 | Kansas State | 2 | 318 | 480 | 135 | 798 | 5.91 | 399.0 |
| 68 | Toledo | 1 | 353 | 229 | 62 | 582 | 9.39 | 582.0 |
| 69 | UCF | 2 | 361 | 370 | 153 | 731 | 4.78 | 365.5 |
| 70 | Arizona | 1 | 403 | 256 | 105 | 659 | 6.28 | 659.0 |
| 71 | Nevada | 2 | 411 | 601 | 152 | 1012 | 6.66 | 506.0 |
| 72 | Boise State | 2 | 432 | 445 | 143 | 877 | 6.13 | 438.5 |
| 73 | Oklahoma | 2 | 445 | 538 | 128 | 983 | 7.68 | 491.5 |
| 74 | New Mexico State | 1 | 446 | 82 | 59 | 528 | 8.95 | 528.0 |
| 75 | Wisconsin | 2 | 469 | 352 | 133 | 821 | 6.17 | 410.5 |
| 76 | Oklahoma State | 2 | 474 | 508 | 166 | 982 | 5.92 | 491.0 |
| 77 | West Virginia | 2 | 526 | 259 | 151 | 785 | 5.20 | 392.5 |
| 78 | Georgia | 2 | 589 | 366 | 151 | 955 | 6.32 | 477.5 |
| 79 | Nebraska | 2 | 701 | 528 | 131 | 1229 | 9.38 | 614.5 |
| 80 | Navy | 2 | 750 | 316 | 141 | 1066 | 7.56 | 533.0 |