The 1979 McNeese State Cowboys football team represented

McNeese State University McNeese State University is a public university in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Founded in 1939 as Lake Charles Junior College, it was renamed McNeese Junior College after John McNeese, an early local educator. The present name was adopted in 1970. ...

as a member of the

Southland Conference The Southland Conference, abbreviated as SLC, is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the South Central United States (specifically Texas and Louisiana). It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it pa ...

during the 1979 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by first-year head coach

Ernie Duplechin Ernie Duplechin (c. 1932 – December 24, 2020) was an American football coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at the McNeese State University from 1979 to 1981, compiling a record of 28–6–1. Duplechi ...

, the Cowboys compiled an overall record of 11–1 with a mark of 5–0 in conference play, winning the Southland title. McNeese State was invited to the

Independence Bowl The Independence Bowl is a post-season National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-sanctioned Division I college football bowl game that is played annually each December at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. The Independence Bowl ...

, where they lost to Syracuse.

Schedule

pg. 76

References

{{Southland Conference football champions

McNeese State McNeese State University is a public university in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Founded in 1939 as Lake Charles Junior College, it was renamed McNeese Junior College after John McNeese, an early local educator. The present name was adopted in 1970. ...

McNeese Cowboys football seasons Southland Conference football champion seasons McNeese State Cowboys football