2021 American Athletic Conference Leaders First Downs - Games vs. Unranked Teams Only (AP Poll) through 01/10/2022
| Name | G | Rush | Pass | Penalty | Total | Total/G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMU | 10 | 103 | 150 | 13 | 266 | 26.6 |
| 2 | Tulsa | 9 | 95 | 96 | 20 | 211 | 23.4 |
| 3 | East Carolina | 10 | 91 | 119 | 17 | 227 | 22.7 |
| 4 | Memphis | 11 | 82 | 139 | 25 | 246 | 22.4 |
| 5 | Houston | 13 | 91 | 169 | 21 | 281 | 21.6 |
| 6 | Cincinnati | 11 | 104 | 117 | 14 | 235 | 21.4 |
| 7 | UCF | 12 | 117 | 115 | 16 | 248 | 20.7 |
| 8 | South Florida | 8 | 84 | 69 | 9 | 162 | 20.3 |
| 8 | Tulane | 8 | 74 | 75 | 13 | 162 | 20.3 |
| 10 | Navy | 9 | 128 | 17 | 8 | 153 | 17.0 |
| 11 | Temple | 10 | 61 | 77 | 15 | 153 | 15.3 |