2016 American Athletic Conference Leaders First Downs - Games vs. FBS Power 5 Conference Teams Only through 01/09/2017
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Carolina | 3 | 21 | 46 | 6 | 73 | 24.3 |
| 2 | Memphis | 2 | 19 | 22 | 5 | 46 | 23.0 |
| 2 | Houston | 2 | 10 | 31 | 5 | 46 | 23.0 |
| 4 | Cincinnati | 1 | 9 | 12 | 1 | 22 | 22.0 |
| 5 | South Florida | 3 | 32 | 25 | 4 | 61 | 20.3 |
| 6 | UCF | 2 | 24 | 12 | 3 | 39 | 19.5 |
| 7 | SMU | 2 | 10 | 23 | 3 | 36 | 18.0 |
| 8 | Temple | 2 | 7 | 23 | 4 | 34 | 17.0 |
| 9 | Connecticut | 3 | 15 | 28 | 6 | 49 | 16.3 |
| 10 | Tulane | 1 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 14 | 14.0 |
| 10 | Tulsa | 1 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 14 | 14.0 |