2016 American Athletic Conference Leaders First Downs - Games vs. Conference Teams Only through 01/09/2017
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tulsa | 8 | 109 | 107 | 19 | 235 | 29.4 |
| 2 | SMU | 8 | 59 | 103 | 16 | 178 | 22.3 |
| 3 | Temple | 9 | 107 | 86 | 15 | 208 | 23.1 |
| 4 | East Carolina | 8 | 60 | 114 | 12 | 186 | 23.3 |
| 4 | UCF | 8 | 54 | 74 | 12 | 140 | 17.5 |
| 4 | Tulane | 8 | 81 | 38 | 12 | 131 | 16.4 |
| 7 | Memphis | 8 | 64 | 103 | 11 | 178 | 22.3 |
| 8 | Cincinnati | 8 | 43 | 91 | 10 | 144 | 18.0 |
| 9 | Navy | 9 | 154 | 40 | 9 | 203 | 22.6 |
| 10 | Connecticut | 8 | 47 | 78 | 8 | 133 | 16.6 |
| 11 | Houston | 8 | 73 | 117 | 5 | 195 | 24.4 |
| 12 | South Florida | 8 | 107 | 72 | 4 | 183 | 22.9 |