The 1936 Duquesne Dukes football team represented Duquesne University in the 1936 college football season. The Dukes were led by first-year head coach John "Clipper" Smith. An upset victory over cross-town rival and national powerhouse Pittsburgh thrust Duquesne into the national spotlight. Another upset victory over previously undefeated Marquette secured the team a spot in the 1937 Orange Bowl, where they defeated Mississippi State, 13–12. Duquesne was ranked 14th in the final poll of the AP Poll in its inaugural year.