2017 American Athletic Conference Leaders First Downs - Games vs. Non-Conference Teams Only through 01/08/2018
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Florida | 4 | 62 | 42 | 11 | 115 | 28.8 |
| 2 | Tulsa | 4 | 62 | 31 | 10 | 103 | 25.8 |
| 3 | UCF | 4 | 34 | 49 | 13 | 96 | 24.0 |
| 4 | SMU | 5 | 52 | 52 | 11 | 115 | 23.0 |
| 5 | Navy | 5 | 92 | 8 | 4 | 104 | 20.8 |
| 5 | Memphis | 4 | 25 | 48 | 10 | 83 | 20.8 |
| 5 | East Carolina | 4 | 20 | 48 | 15 | 83 | 20.8 |
| 8 | Houston | 4 | 23 | 54 | 5 | 82 | 20.5 |
| 9 | Temple | 5 | 31 | 61 | 7 | 99 | 19.8 |
| 9 | Tulane | 4 | 53 | 18 | 8 | 79 | 19.8 |
| 9 | Connecticut | 4 | 34 | 37 | 8 | 79 | 19.8 |
| 12 | Cincinnati | 4 | 25 | 32 | 13 | 70 | 17.5 |