1979 Stanford Cardinals football team

1979 Stanford Cardinals football
ConferencePacific-10 Conference
Record5–5–1 (3–3–1 Pac-10)
Head coach
Home stadiumStanford Stadium
1979 Pacific-10 Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 2 USC $ 6 0 111 0 1
No. 11 Washington 5 2 09 3 0
Arizona 4 3 06 5 1
Oregon 4 3 06 5 0
California 5 4 06 6 0
Stanford 3 3 15 5 1
Arizona State * 3 4 06 6 0
UCLA 3 4 05 6 0
Washington State 2 6 03 8 0
Oregon State 1 7 01 10 0
  • $ Conference champion
  • * – Arizona State later forfeited 5 wins (3 in conference) due to NCAA sanctions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1979 Stanford Cardinals football team represented Stanford University in the Pacific-10 Conference during the 1979 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by first-year head coach Rod Dowhower, the Cardinals had a 5–5–1 overall record (3–3–1 in Pac-10, sixth).

Senior starting quarterback Turk Schonert split time with freshman John Elway.

Dowhower was promoted to head coach in January; he was previously the receivers coach for two seasons under Bill Walsh, who left for the NFL's San Francisco 49ers. After the season in January 1980, Dowhower left to become the offensive coordinator with the NFL's Denver Broncos, and was succeeded by alumnus Paul Wiggin.