The 1979 Arkansas State Indians football team was an American football team that represented Arkansas State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 1979 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their first season under head coach Larry Lacewell, Arkansas State compiled an overall record of 4–7 record with a conference mark of 1–4, placing in a three-way tie for fourth in the Southland .^[1]

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 8	East Texas State*	Indian Stadium Jonesboro, AR	W 24–14		[2]
September 15	at Northeast Louisiana*	Malone Stadium Monroe, LA	L 17–18		[3]
September 22	Southern Illinois*	Indian Stadium Jonesboro, AR	W 24–16	16,803	[4]
September 29	Southwestern Louisiana	Indian Stadium Jonesboro, AR	L 9–13	17,638	[5]
October 6	at Richmond*	City Stadium Richmond, VA	W 24–3		[6]
October 13	at Louisiana Tech	Joe Aillet Stadium Ruston, LA	W 14–7	13,800	[7]
October 20	at McNeese State	Cowboy Stadium Lake Charles, LA	L 7–10		[8]
October 27	Lamar	Indian Stadium Jonesboro, AR	L 10–20	10,212	[9]
November 3	Texas–Arlington*	Indian Stadium Jonesboro, AR	L 18–56	12,672	[10]
November 10	at Wyoming*	War Memorial Stadium Laramie, WY	L 14–17		[11]
November 17	at Southern Miss*	M. M. Roberts Stadium Hattiesburg, MS	L 6–14	16,340	[12]
*Non-conference game Homecoming

^[13]

The following Indian was selected in the 1980 NFL draft.^[14]