2012 National Leaders First Downs - Games in December/January Only through 01/07/2013
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon State | 2 | 23 | 35 | 5 | 63 | 31.5 |
| 2 | Oklahoma State | 2 | 21 | 34 | 5 | 60 | 30.0 |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 2 | 17 | 29 | 3 | 49 | 24.5 |
| 4 | Georgia | 2 | 14 | 26 | 1 | 41 | 20.5 |
| 5 | Texas | 2 | 10 | 24 | 3 | 37 | 18.5 |
| 6 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 2 | 22 | 23 | 1 | 46 | 23.0 |
| 6 | Arkansas State | 2 | 20 | 23 | 2 | 45 | 22.5 |
| 8 | West Virginia | 2 | 19 | 22 | 6 | 47 | 23.5 |
| 8 | Florida State | 2 | 21 | 22 | 2 | 45 | 22.5 |
| 8 | Boise State | 2 | 20 | 22 | 1 | 43 | 21.5 |
| 11 | UCF | 2 | 25 | 21 | 4 | 50 | 25.0 |
| 11 | North Carolina State | 1 | 3 | 21 | 0 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 13 | Duke | 1 | 14 | 20 | 2 | 36 | 36.0 |
| 13 | Clemson | 1 | 6 | 20 | 6 | 32 | 32.0 |
| 13 | Baylor | 2 | 32 | 20 | 5 | 57 | 28.5 |
| 13 | Cincinnati | 2 | 12 | 20 | 4 | 36 | 18.0 |
| 17 | Arizona | 1 | 10 | 19 | 2 | 31 | 31.0 |
| 17 | Alabama | 2 | 31 | 19 | 4 | 54 | 27.0 |
| 17 | Pittsburgh | 2 | 13 | 19 | 3 | 35 | 17.5 |
| 20 | Nevada | 2 | 42 | 18 | 2 | 62 | 31.0 |
| 20 | Fresno State | 1 | 3 | 18 | 0 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 22 | Nebraska | 2 | 26 | 17 | 6 | 49 | 24.5 |
| 22 | San Jose State | 1 | 1 | 17 | 1 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 22 | Kansas State | 2 | 17 | 17 | 1 | 35 | 17.5 |
| 25 | Ball State | 1 | 3 | 16 | 4 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 26 | Louisiana-Monroe | 1 | 6 | 15 | 3 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 26 | Louisville | 1 | 6 | 15 | 2 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 26 | Connecticut | 1 | 2 | 15 | 2 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 29 | Texas A&M | 1 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 29 | BYU | 1 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 31 | Rice | 1 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 31 | Florida Atlantic | 1 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 31 | East Carolina | 1 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 31 | TCU | 2 | 7 | 13 | 4 | 24 | 12.0 |
| 35 | Arizona State | 1 | 21 | 12 | 3 | 36 | 36.0 |
| 35 | New Mexico State | 1 | 8 | 12 | 1 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 35 | Notre Dame | 1 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 16 | 16.0 |
| 38 | Tulsa | 2 | 30 | 11 | 8 | 49 | 24.5 |
| 38 | Texas Tech | 1 | 9 | 11 | 3 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 38 | Washington | 1 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 38 | UCLA | 1 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 38 | South Carolina | 1 | 4 | 11 | 2 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 43 | Michigan | 1 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 24 | 24.0 |
| 43 | Mississippi | 1 | 11 | 10 | 2 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 43 | Central Michigan | 1 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 43 | Utah State | 1 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 43 | Northwestern | 1 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 43 | Virginia Tech | 1 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 12 | 12.0 |
| 49 | Ohio | 1 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 21 | 21.0 |
| 49 | Kent State | 1 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 19 | 19.0 |
| 51 | Wisconsin | 2 | 30 | 8 | 3 | 41 | 20.5 |
| 51 | Hawai'i | 1 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 20 | 20.0 |
| 51 | Navy | 2 | 27 | 8 | 1 | 36 | 18.0 |
| 51 | Florida | 1 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 51 | Western Kentucky | 1 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 13 | 13.0 |
| 56 | Syracuse | 1 | 18 | 7 | 3 | 28 | 28.0 |
| 56 | Oregon | 1 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 56 | Mississippi State | 1 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 56 | Northern Illinois | 1 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 56 | San Diego State | 1 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 13 | 13.0 |
| 56 | South Florida | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 10 | 10.0 |
| 62 | Georgia Tech | 2 | 31 | 6 | 0 | 37 | 18.5 |
| 62 | Purdue | 1 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 62 | Toledo | 1 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 18 | 18.0 |
| 62 | SMU | 1 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 15 | 15.0 |
| 62 | Rutgers | 1 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 14 | 14.0 |
| 62 | Michigan State | 1 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 13.0 |
| 62 | Bowling Green | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 12.0 |
| 69 | Texas State | 1 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 69 | Minnesota | 1 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 23 | 23.0 |
| 69 | Middle Tennessee | 1 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 12.0 |
| 69 | Iowa State | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 9.0 |
| 69 | LSU | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 9.0 |
| 74 | Stanford | 1 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 74 | Vanderbilt | 1 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 74 | South Alabama | 1 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 17 | 17.0 |
| 74 | Kansas | 1 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 13.0 |
| 74 | USC | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 10.0 |
| 79 | Army | 1 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 26 | 26.0 |
| 80 | Air Force | 1 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 12.0 |