Dane Steel didn’t wait long to provide an encore.
Less than nine months after he helped propel Montana State to its first national football championship in 42 years with an “instant classic” touchdown catch, the Sheridan product had a career night in the Bobcats’ season-opening 54-0 romp at Utah Tech on Saturday night.
Steel caught a 55-yard scoring pass for MSU’s first points of the 2026 season. That play, incidentally, was set up by an 18-yard run from fellow former Sheridan Bronc Colson Coon.
Steel’s TD set the stage for a career night: Eight catches for 174 yards.
“I never had that many yards in a game even in high school,” he said afterward.
For his efforts, Steel was chosen Scripps TV's Player of the Game.
As MSU head coach Brent Vigen, a former associate head coach and offensive coordinator at the University of Wyoming, sees it, it’s just the first of many such nights for Steel, a third-year player who's a sophomore in eligibility.
“I think people will soon start talking about Dane as one of the best receivers in our league, if they aren’t already,” said Vigen, who coached with the Pokes from 2014-20 before taking over at MSU.
Family Tradition at MSU
Steel, the 2023 Wyoming Gatorade Football Player of the Year and a three-time state football champion with the Broncs, is continuing a family tradition at MSU. Older brother Coy played for the Cats and another older brother, Brock, is a fifth-year senior.
As for his touchdown, he shrugged: “I just caught the ball. All I had to do was catch it and follow the guys.”
Steel already had sealed his place in MSU lore on Jan. 5, when the Bobcats faced Illinois State for the Football Championship Series (FCS) crown in Nashville, Tennessee.
With 24 seconds remaining in the first half, he took a pass from quarterback Justin Lamson on the right sideline at the 23-yard line.
Steel hurtled a defender, received a push from teammate Justin Davis and dove into the end zone for a 21-7 lead.
That night, after the Big Sky Conference posted the video online, it was No. 1 on ESPN SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays.
“Pretty surreal,” Steel told Cowboy State Daily the next morning. “Pretty exciting.”
MSU went on to win 35-34 for its first national championship since 1984.
Reliving The National Title
On Thursday night, the Bobcats were shown a documentary of their historic 2025 season.
“Man, there was a lot of emotions,” Steel said of watching the film. “At the end, everybody was going crazy, excited, clapping. Guys were getting pretty emotional.
“It was nice to have something sweet to look back on but we’re in the 2026 season now.”
Steel is no stranger to athletic success.
He was a two-time Class 4A state wrestling champion for Sheridan. His 39 catches last season are second most in MSU history for a freshman, and his 501 yards are third best.
MSU’s next game is its home opener Saturday against Butler.
Meanwhile, Steel’s Sheridan Broncs, who have won an unprecedented five consecutive Class 4A football titles, opened their season Friday with a 54-10 rout of Rock Springs. It was Sheridan’s state-record 56th consecutive victory.
Jeff Welsch can be reached at jeff@cowboystatedaily.com.
