1979 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team

The 1979 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team represented Rutgers University in the 1979 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their seventh season under head coach Frank R. Burns, the Scarlet Knights compiled an 8-3 record while competing as an independent. The team outscored its opponents 243 to 174. Against ranked opponents, the team lost, 45-10, to #7 Penn State and defeated #17 Tennessee, 13-7. The team's statistical leaders included Ed McMichael with 1,529 passing yards, Albert Ray with 567 rushing yards, and David Dorn with 468 receiving yards.