1979 Purdue Boilermakers football team

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.

Starters
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

Staff
Head coach: Jim Young

Assistants: Bob Bockrath, Leon Burtnett, Mike Hankwitz, Randy Hart, Doug Redmann, Bob Spoo, Larry Thompson, Ed Zaunbrecher

Oregon

 * Wally Jones 30 rushes, 156 yards

Illinois

 * Mark Herrmann breaks Mike Phipps' school record for career passing yardage
 * Dave Young 114 Rec Yds, 2 TD
 * Jimmy Smith 23 rushes, 125 yards

At Michigan State
Mark Herrmann broke the Big Ten career completion record set by Michigan State's Ed Smith in the previous year.

At Indiana

 * Ben McCall 20 rushes, 148 yards

Vs. Tennessee (Bluebonnet Bowl)

 * PUR: Mark Herrmann 21/39, 303 Yds, 3 TD
 * PUR: Bart Burell 8 Rec, 144 Yds, TD

All-Big Ten

 * Calvin Clark (1st)
 * Ken Loushin (1st)
 * Steve McKenzie (1st)
 * Dale Schwan (1st)
 * Keena Turner (1st)
 * Dave Young (1st)
 * Mark Herrmann (2nd)
 * Marcus Jackson (2nd)
 * Kevin Motts (2nd)
 * Pete Quinn (2nd)
 * Wayne Smith (2nd)