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.
This is Purdue's only 10-win season in program history as of 2026.
Schedule
Game summaries 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 TDOcala Star-Banner. 1979 Oct 14. Retrieved 2018-Oct-28. 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. Palm Beach Post. 1979 Oct 21.
At Iowa
Palm Beach Post. 1979 Nov 4.
Michigan
"Boilermakers nip Michigan but it only helps Buckeyes." Eugene Register-Guard. 1979 Nov 11.
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 Eugene Register-Guard. 1980 Jan 1.
Personnel Roster
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
Awards 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)
Statistics Passing Player Comp Att Yards TD INT Mark Herrmann 203 348 2,377 16 19
References