Freshman Nick Romano probably is the only Idahoan who can say he began his Division I college football career with a Week 1 start at running back, in the presence of about 105,000 onlookers in the world’s third-largest sporting venue: Penn State’s Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa.

“Now you know what it’s like, the biggest stage possible,” said Romano, who shares the Vandals’ running back duties with a few others. Really, Romano might not need that distinction to stand out. Who can think of another Idaho-born notable who started at running back in Game 1 as an 18-year-old?