The 1979 Purdue Boilermakers football team represented Purdue University in the 1979 Big Ten Conference football season.
Led by third-year head coach Jim Young, the Boilermakers compiled an overall record of 10–2 with a mark of 7–1 in conference play, placing second in the Big Ten.
Purdue was invited to the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, where the Boilermakers defeated Tennessee.
The team played home games at Ross–Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana.
[14] Offense: se Burrell/Ray Smith, lt Feil, lg Schwan, c Quinn, rg Hall, rt McKenzie, te Young, qb Herrmann, fb Augustyniak, tb Jones/McCall, fl Harris, k Seibel Defense: de Kingsbury, lt Clark, mg Loushin, rt Jackson, de Turner, lb Motts/Looney/Marks, cb W. smith/Kay, ss Seneff, fs Williams/McKinnie, p Hayes [15] Mark Herrmann broke the Big Ten career completion record set by Michigan State's Ed Smith in the previous year.