1979 Southern Illinois Salukis football team

The 1979 Southern Illinois Salukis football team was an American football team that represented Southern Illinois University (now known as Southern Illinois University Carbondale) in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) during the 1979 NCAA Division I-A football season. Under fourth-year head coach Rey Dempsey, the team compiled an 8–3 record. The team played its home games at McAndrew Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois.