The Montana State Bobcats are champions for the first time since 1984 after a thrilling national championship game that showcased highlight-reel plays from multiple players.
Among the standout performers was red-shirt freshman wide receiver Dane Steel, a small-town kid from Sheridan, Wyo. who made one of the biggest plays of the night in Nashville.
With 75 yards and three plays during the last minute of the second quarter, Steel's play became an instant classic and helped propel the Bobcats to their historic victory.
Watch Dane Steel talk about his national championship experience in Nashville:
The play started with a pass from quarterback Justin Lamson with 25 seconds left in the first half. What happened next will be remembered forever by Bobcat fans.
"I knew I had a feeling I'd be open because we had ran that route a couple of times," Steel said Wednesday in an interview with MTN.
After catching the pass, Steel made magic happen on the field, making a defender miss, hurdling another player, staying on his feet, and diving for the end zone.
"After that, it just happened so fast. I don't really know what was going through my head," Steel said. "Second guy just went, and I don't even really know what I was thinking. Just jumped and landed. And then I dove and Julius (Davis), Julius pushed me in and that was big time."
Despite never doing hurdles in high school, Steel's athletic move looked effortless.
"I was telling them that I'm going to just try it one day. And, if you had told me, I was going to do it then I would have called you crazy, but just happened to do it and it worked out," Steel said.
His mother, Amy Steel, watched the incredible moment unfold from the stands.
"That was pretty wild, right? How he stayed up. I don't know," Amy Steel said.
The championship required heroic efforts from the entire team as the game went to overtime after Illinois State tied it at the end of regulation.
"It was just so, everyone was so ecstatic. Just the chaos and the thrill of the moment," Amy Steel said.
For her son, sharing the championship moment with his teammates made it even more special.
"To be able to share that moment with all those guys and, you know, the amount of hours that I've put in with those guys and just being able to share that moment with them was super cool," Steel said.
Amy Steel had extra reason to celebrate, as she watched not one but two sons play in the Nashville national championship game. Linebacker Brock Steel also enjoyed the victory in Nashville.
"I just could not be any happier for them or full of gratitude for the experience and the opportunity and the team that they get to share it all with. It's feels like a family, I think to all of us. And it's just really incredible," Amy Steel said.
Her dedication to supporting her sons hasn't gone unnoticed.
"She's, she's our biggest supporter for sure. She has been at all of our games, you know, whether they're in Eugene or Tennessee, wherever," Steel said.
The victory marks the end of a 42-year championship drought for Montana State and caps off a remarkable season for the Bobcats.
