By the time he suffered a season ending broken thumb in the seventh game of the 2009 SDSU football season, wide receiver Vincent Brown had already opened a lot of eyes. As the Aztecs primary deep threat he had latched on to 45 Ryan Lindley aerials for 778 yards, a 17.3 yards per catch average and six TDs. Brown’s on the field exploits made him one of the 10 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award presented annually to the nation’s top collegiate receiver. He briefly considered leaving Montezuma Mesa for the green (as in dollars) pastures of the NFL, but he ultimately decided that he had some unfinished business at San Diego State.

   “There were a lot of (factors involved) including the injury, but I realized that I hadn’t won a championship or even been to a bowl game since arriving here. That weighed heavily with me and my teammates. So, that was something that I wanted to take part in before I left here.”

   While a Mountain West Championship might be a bit out of reach given the competition, a bowl game appearance is certainly within the realm of possibility. With quarterback Ryan Lindley now in his third year and targets like Brown, DeMarco Sampson, Dominique Sandifer and pre-season all-conference tight end Alston Umuolo to throw to, the Aztecs should be able to put a lot of points on the board. Brown has seen a lot of improvement across the board.

   “The summer conditioning program run by coach (Aaron) Wellman has got a lot of the guys stronger and in great shape and the talent level is far beyond what has been here for a long time. We have a lot of young guys with real talent. Once they get a little experience this program is going to take off. We have everything we need this year and we are going to go after it.”

   The primary concerns are with the defense, the running game and the offensive line. Working against them every day in practice Brown has some insights into the Aztec secondary.

   “Jose Perez is a great cover corner and he is probably the hardest one to shake. He has very quick hips and he is fast. He also understands his assignments and how to cover each receiver. Andrew Preston is maybe the hardest hitter in the secondary, either him or Khalid Stevens. They definitely like to come up and put a hat on you when you catch the ball so you have to be aware of where they are.”

   Long suffering Aztec fans will get their first look at the new and presumably improved team when they host Louisiana’s Nicholls State on Saturday night at the “Q”. It has been 12 long years since the Black and Red have participated in a bowl game, but with continued improvement and a little luck that drought could end this year.

   “I think this team has an incredible amount of drive. We definitely want it so much more this year. (A winning season) is no longer something to talk about. It is something we are going to go out and get.”

   SDSU football season opener vs. Nicholls State Saturday, September 4 @ 5:00 p.m. at Qualcomm Stadium. Tickets start at just $5.