2012 National Leaders First Downs - Games Won Only through 01/07/2013
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Akron | 1 | 12 | 29 | 2 | 43 | 43.0 |
| 2 | Marshall | 5 | 63 | 88 | 10 | 161 | 32.2 |
| 3 | Louisiana Tech | 9 | 113 | 136 | 28 | 277 | 30.8 |
| 4 | Arizona | 8 | 112 | 106 | 24 | 242 | 30.3 |
| 5 | Nevada | 7 | 106 | 88 | 13 | 207 | 29.6 |
| 6 | Baylor | 8 | 119 | 104 | 12 | 235 | 29.4 |
| 7 | Ball State | 9 | 124 | 118 | 20 | 262 | 29.1 |
| 8 | Texas Tech | 8 | 75 | 136 | 19 | 230 | 28.8 |
| 9 | Arizona State | 8 | 100 | 111 | 16 | 227 | 28.4 |
| 10 | Texas A&M | 11 | 133 | 156 | 21 | 310 | 28.2 |
| 10 | Tennessee | 5 | 43 | 89 | 9 | 141 | 28.2 |
| 12 | Oregon | 12 | 198 | 124 | 14 | 336 | 28.0 |
| 12 | Oklahoma | 10 | 99 | 169 | 12 | 280 | 28.0 |
| 14 | Clemson | 11 | 127 | 163 | 14 | 304 | 27.6 |
| 14 | West Virginia | 7 | 69 | 116 | 8 | 193 | 27.6 |
| 14 | Houston | 5 | 55 | 73 | 10 | 138 | 27.6 |
| 17 | Army | 2 | 47 | 7 | 0 | 54 | 27.0 |
| 18 | Miami (Ohio) | 4 | 38 | 59 | 10 | 107 | 26.8 |
| 19 | Western Michigan | 4 | 40 | 58 | 8 | 106 | 26.5 |
| 20 | Oklahoma State | 8 | 97 | 99 | 15 | 211 | 26.4 |
| 21 | UCLA | 9 | 96 | 117 | 21 | 234 | 26.0 |
| 21 | Colorado | 1 | 8 | 16 | 2 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 23 | North Carolina | 8 | 86 | 110 | 9 | 205 | 25.6 |
| 24 | Oregon State | 9 | 74 | 130 | 24 | 228 | 25.3 |
| 24 | UAB | 3 | 33 | 37 | 6 | 76 | 25.3 |
| 26 | Arkansas State | 10 | 126 | 108 | 17 | 251 | 25.1 |
| 26 | Fresno State | 9 | 89 | 120 | 17 | 226 | 25.1 |
| 26 | Mississippi | 7 | 94 | 71 | 11 | 176 | 25.1 |
| 29 | Syracuse | 8 | 100 | 88 | 12 | 200 | 25.0 |
| 29 | Troy | 5 | 51 | 62 | 12 | 125 | 25.0 |
| 31 | Northern Illinois | 12 | 151 | 134 | 12 | 297 | 24.8 |
| 32 | Iowa State | 6 | 64 | 75 | 9 | 148 | 24.7 |
| 32 | Purdue | 6 | 61 | 78 | 9 | 148 | 24.7 |
| 34 | BYU | 8 | 87 | 101 | 9 | 197 | 24.6 |
| 35 | Indiana | 4 | 36 | 45 | 16 | 97 | 24.3 |
| 36 | Penn State | 8 | 74 | 104 | 15 | 193 | 24.1 |
| 36 | East Carolina | 8 | 71 | 108 | 14 | 193 | 24.1 |
| 38 | Nebraska | 10 | 134 | 89 | 17 | 240 | 24.0 |
| 38 | Georgia Tech | 7 | 136 | 27 | 5 | 168 | 24.0 |
| 38 | Rice | 7 | 81 | 80 | 7 | 168 | 24.0 |
| 41 | Florida State | 12 | 130 | 144 | 12 | 286 | 23.8 |
| 41 | Ohio | 9 | 97 | 95 | 22 | 214 | 23.8 |
| 43 | Navy | 8 | 144 | 39 | 6 | 189 | 23.6 |
| 44 | Tulsa | 11 | 146 | 89 | 23 | 258 | 23.5 |
| 44 | Kentucky | 2 | 24 | 21 | 2 | 47 | 23.5 |
| 44 | Eastern Michigan | 2 | 23 | 21 | 3 | 47 | 23.5 |
| 47 | Northwestern | 10 | 132 | 89 | 13 | 234 | 23.4 |
| 48 | Wyoming | 4 | 26 | 57 | 10 | 93 | 23.3 |
| 49 | Air Force | 6 | 113 | 21 | 5 | 139 | 23.2 |
| 50 | Louisiana-Monroe | 8 | 62 | 105 | 17 | 184 | 23.0 |
| 50 | Virginia | 4 | 40 | 49 | 3 | 92 | 23.0 |
| 52 | San Jose State | 11 | 73 | 166 | 13 | 252 | 22.9 |
| 52 | San Diego State | 9 | 113 | 75 | 18 | 206 | 22.9 |
| 54 | Louisville | 11 | 97 | 138 | 16 | 251 | 22.8 |
| 54 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 9 | 97 | 92 | 16 | 205 | 22.8 |
| 54 | Buffalo | 4 | 36 | 43 | 12 | 91 | 22.8 |
| 57 | UCF | 10 | 113 | 106 | 8 | 227 | 22.7 |
| 57 | Texas | 9 | 99 | 95 | 10 | 204 | 22.7 |
| 57 | California | 3 | 37 | 26 | 5 | 68 | 22.7 |
| 57 | UTEP | 3 | 29 | 33 | 6 | 68 | 22.7 |
| 61 | Duke | 6 | 52 | 71 | 12 | 135 | 22.5 |
| 62 | Toledo | 9 | 90 | 102 | 10 | 202 | 22.4 |
| 62 | Miami (Florida) | 7 | 50 | 92 | 15 | 157 | 22.4 |
| 64 | Boise State | 11 | 103 | 127 | 15 | 245 | 22.3 |
| 64 | New Mexico | 4 | 65 | 17 | 7 | 89 | 22.3 |
| 66 | Notre Dame | 12 | 124 | 125 | 16 | 265 | 22.1 |
| 67 | Alabama | 13 | 156 | 118 | 12 | 286 | 22.0 |
| 67 | Georgia | 12 | 108 | 145 | 11 | 264 | 22.0 |
| 67 | Kansas State | 11 | 122 | 104 | 16 | 242 | 22.0 |
| 67 | Utah State | 11 | 102 | 122 | 18 | 242 | 22.0 |
| 67 | Texas State | 4 | 46 | 36 | 6 | 88 | 22.0 |
| 67 | Kansas | 1 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 73 | Mississippi State | 8 | 68 | 96 | 11 | 175 | 21.9 |
| 74 | Wisconsin | 8 | 115 | 51 | 8 | 174 | 21.8 |
| 74 | Middle Tennessee | 8 | 89 | 73 | 12 | 174 | 21.8 |
| 74 | UTSA | 6 | 56 | 66 | 9 | 131 | 21.8 |
| 77 | Central Michigan | 7 | 70 | 68 | 13 | 151 | 21.6 |
| 78 | Arkansas | 4 | 35 | 45 | 6 | 86 | 21.5 |
| 79 | Ohio State | 12 | 156 | 86 | 15 | 257 | 21.4 |
| 80 | Western Kentucky | 7 | 73 | 63 | 13 | 149 | 21.3 |
| 80 | Pittsburgh | 6 | 52 | 68 | 8 | 128 | 21.3 |
| 82 | USC | 7 | 59 | 71 | 18 | 148 | 21.1 |
| 83 | Florida International | 3 | 30 | 29 | 4 | 63 | 21.0 |
| 83 | Florida Atlantic | 3 | 28 | 31 | 4 | 63 | 21.0 |
| 83 | Washington State | 3 | 12 | 36 | 15 | 63 | 21.0 |
| 83 | South Alabama | 2 | 18 | 17 | 7 | 42 | 21.0 |
| 83 | UNLV | 2 | 15 | 25 | 2 | 42 | 21.0 |
| 83 | Massachusetts | 1 | 4 | 14 | 3 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 89 | Utah | 5 | 46 | 51 | 7 | 104 | 20.8 |
| 90 | Cincinnati | 10 | 99 | 91 | 17 | 207 | 20.7 |
| 90 | Michigan State | 7 | 62 | 78 | 5 | 145 | 20.7 |
| 90 | South Florida | 3 | 26 | 32 | 4 | 62 | 20.7 |
| 93 | South Carolina | 11 | 95 | 117 | 15 | 227 | 20.6 |
| 94 | Michigan | 8 | 76 | 77 | 11 | 164 | 20.5 |
| 95 | Bowling Green | 8 | 81 | 69 | 13 | 163 | 20.4 |
| 96 | Stanford | 12 | 105 | 115 | 23 | 243 | 20.3 |
| 96 | LSU | 10 | 108 | 83 | 12 | 203 | 20.3 |
| 96 | North Carolina State | 7 | 58 | 78 | 6 | 142 | 20.3 |
| 96 | Memphis | 4 | 42 | 29 | 10 | 81 | 20.3 |
| 96 | Auburn | 3 | 38 | 19 | 4 | 61 | 20.3 |
| 101 | Vanderbilt | 9 | 87 | 74 | 19 | 180 | 20.0 |
| 101 | Idaho | 1 | 6 | 12 | 2 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 103 | Temple | 4 | 55 | 21 | 3 | 79 | 19.8 |
| 103 | Colorado State | 4 | 37 | 37 | 5 | 79 | 19.8 |
| 105 | Washington | 7 | 60 | 65 | 13 | 138 | 19.7 |
| 105 | Minnesota | 6 | 60 | 49 | 9 | 118 | 19.7 |
| 107 | TCU | 7 | 64 | 66 | 7 | 137 | 19.6 |
| 108 | Tulane | 2 | 9 | 28 | 2 | 39 | 19.5 |
| 109 | Wake Forest | 5 | 44 | 49 | 4 | 97 | 19.4 |
| 110 | Virginia Tech | 7 | 67 | 63 | 5 | 135 | 19.3 |
| 110 | Hawai'i | 3 | 26 | 27 | 5 | 58 | 19.3 |
| 112 | Boston College | 2 | 10 | 25 | 3 | 38 | 19.0 |
| 113 | Iowa | 4 | 40 | 28 | 7 | 75 | 18.8 |
| 114 | SMU | 7 | 51 | 76 | 4 | 131 | 18.7 |
| 115 | Kent State | 11 | 117 | 74 | 13 | 204 | 18.5 |
| 116 | Missouri | 5 | 46 | 44 | 2 | 92 | 18.4 |
| 117 | North Texas | 4 | 36 | 29 | 7 | 72 | 18.0 |
| 117 | New Mexico State | 1 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 119 | Florida | 11 | 115 | 64 | 15 | 194 | 17.6 |
| 119 | Rutgers | 9 | 60 | 83 | 15 | 158 | 17.6 |
| 121 | Illinois | 2 | 10 | 20 | 2 | 32 | 16.0 |
| 122 | Connecticut | 5 | 28 | 44 | 2 | 74 | 14.8 |
| 123 | Maryland | 4 | 16 | 32 | 6 | 54 | 13.5 |