| Year: | 1979 |
| Team: | Purdue Boilermakers |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Big Ten Conference |
| Short Conf: | Big Ten |
| Coachrank: | 10 |
| Aprank: | 10 |
| Record: | 10–2 |
| Conf Record: | 7–1 |
| Head Coach: | Jim Young |
| Hc Year: | 3rd |
| Off Coach: | Bob Bockrath |
| Oc Year: | 1st |
| Def Coach: | Leon Burtnett |
| Dc Year: | 3rd |
| Mvp: | Dave Young |
| Captain: | Steve McKenzie, Pete Quinn, Keena Turner |
| Stadium: | Ross–Ade Stadium |
| Champion: | Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl champion |
| Bowl: | Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl |
| Bowl Result: | W 27–22 vs. Tennessee |
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.
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
Head coach: Jim Young
Assistants: Bob Bockrath, Leon Burtnett, Mike Hankwitz, Randy Hart, Doug Redmann, Bob Spoo, Larry Thompson, Ed Zaunbrecher
Mark Herrmann broke the Big Ten career completion record set by Michigan State's Ed Smith in the previous year.[3]
See also: 1979 Iowa Hawkeyes football team.
See also: 1979 Indiana Hoosiers football team and Old Oaken Bucket.
See main article: 1979 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl.
See also: 1979 Tennessee Volunteers football team.
See main article: 1979 All-Big Ten Conference football team.