COLLEGE STATION -- The deep breath Jimbo Fisher took and the word that followed indicated the coach was more than ready for his first game at Texas A&M.
"Finally," Fisher said to open Thursday's news conference at Kyle Field for the Aggies' season opener against Northwestern State on Aug. 30. In that moment, he sounded as ready as anyone to start playing football instead of talking about it.
But while Fisher excitedly rattled off the roster and talked about offseason improvements, he also had to address the situation looming over his anticipated debut. In a report by USA Today released Tuesday, former A&M linebacker Santino Marchiol alleged Fisher's staff broke multiple NCAA violations during their first eight months in College Station.