2021 American Athletic Conference Leaders Total Defense - Games in August/September Only through 01/10/2022
| Name | G | Rush Yards | Pass Yards | Plays | Total Yards | Yards/Play | Yards/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston | 4 | 526 | 464 | 216 | 990 | 4.58 | 247.5 |
| 2 | Temple | 4 | 693 | 431 | 267 | 1124 | 4.21 | 281.0 |
| 3 | Cincinnati | 3 | 414 | 482 | 216 | 896 | 4.15 | 298.7 |
| 4 | UCF | 3 | 235 | 828 | 206 | 1063 | 5.16 | 354.3 |
| 5 | Navy | 3 | 404 | 669 | 194 | 1073 | 5.53 | 357.7 |
| 6 | Tulsa | 4 | 592 | 990 | 280 | 1582 | 5.65 | 395.5 |
| 7 | SMU | 4 | 546 | 1224 | 287 | 1770 | 6.17 | 442.5 |
| 8 | Tulane | 4 | 725 | 1073 | 306 | 1798 | 5.88 | 449.5 |
| 9 | Memphis | 4 | 452 | 1394 | 335 | 1846 | 5.51 | 461.5 |
| 10 | East Carolina | 4 | 670 | 1307 | 302 | 1977 | 6.55 | 494.3 |
| 11 | South Florida | 4 | 931 | 1088 | 263 | 2019 | 7.68 | 504.8 |