Spartan Daily Vol. 161 No. 21

Israel declares war on Hamas

By Navin Krishnan STAFF WRITER

On Sunday, Israel formally declared war on militant and political organization Hamas, after it was attacked by the group on Saturday which has de facto governed the Gaza Strip since 2007, according to a Monday Al Jazeera article.

This is the latest in a nearly century-long conflict.

The conflict began when the British government committed the establishment of the Mandate of Palestine as land for a Jewish state in 1947, according to a Monday article by Al Jazeera detailing the

history of the conflict.

The conflict escalated further after the establishment of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948, according to the same article.

In response to the attack from Hamas, the Israeli military bombed the Gaza Strip area, killing 500 Palestinians.

More casualties have been reported, with 900 Israelis and 704 Palestinians being killed, including 4,000 Palestinians and 2,000 Israelis injured in the latest escalation, according to live updates from Al Jazeera.

Israelis proceeded to mobilize troops ordering a “complete siege” of the Gaza Strip, signaling a major ground

invasion of the area, according to a Monday New York Times article.

The newly announced siege on Gaza cuts off food, electricity and water supplies, according to a Monday NBC News article.

Arthur Zárate, SJSU Assistant Professor of Global Humanities, said the blockade has been going on for years.

“Gaza has been under blockade by the Israeli government for a decade and a half. Human Rights Watch describes Gaza as an ‘open-air prison,’ ” Zárate said.

SJSU alumnus Qais Hamadi said he acknowledged that while the conflict has lasted

almost a century, the blockade was installed 16 years ago.

“I am very saddened that innocent civilians are going to be casualties in a war between the two countries. The result of the tension has resulted in the attack on Hamas,” Hamadi said.

Zárate said decisions the United States government makes deeply affect the lives of many citizens in the Middle East, and Palestinians and Israelis are no exception.

“Palestinians need to be able to live with peace and dignity and have sovereignty over their lives,” he said.

Zárate said most of his students are U.S. citizens and it

behooves them to learn about a region that the government has played such an important role in.

“Israelis deserve to live in a viable, functioning state and to live in peace, and security, and so do Palestinians,” Zárate said.

Spartans talk engineering and diversity

By Angel Santiago STAFF WRITER

The 9th Annual Conference for Engineering and Diversity was hosted at San José State University in the Student Union ballroom on Saturday morning.

Mechanical engineering junior

Anna Vartan said when she heard about the event she reached out to Steven Stowe, the director of the Mathematics, Engineering, Science, Achievement and Student Programs (MESA), and asked if she could be the co-chair for the conference, thus making her one events’ organizers.

MESA is the college of career preparation which propels student diversity, achievement and opportunity for STEM students to develop team-bonding and communication skills according to its website.

"And I [told] him, ‘I want to do more than just volunteer, what can I do?’ ” Vartan said. “And he's like, ‘You know, if you want to co-chair the event ... We're always excited to have new people.’ "

Vartan said her dad's engineering background in Iran motivated

her to follow in his footsteps.

Vartan said she was fortunate to have women participate in the conference, as it predominantly draws attendance from men.

Ashraf Habibullah, the president and CEO of Computers and Structures Inc. said the economic structure cannot grow because without it the economy comes to a halt.

Habibullah said he was on campus a few months ago and it was a women's conference that brought him back to speak to engineering students.

“I was here earlier. A few months ago, I was here. I think it was the Women's Conference I attended.”

Habibullah said

“You are the reason there is even an economic infrastructure,” Habibullah said. “If you stopped working, the whole economy would come to a screeching halt. It's a profession that represents happiness.”

Habibullah also said when he began working with computers, he started from the ground and through time, he began to work his way up the engineering ladder.

“I basically got an opportunity

to learn some sort of starting at the ground floor, and that was extremely exciting,” he said. “I just kept with that and it was something that I just enjoyed.”

Computer engineering senior Eugene Chan said he found the event through a Canvas announcement from his engineering professor.

Chan said he wanted to study mechanical engineering because he enjoys building and worked in

construction with his dad.

“I do construction with my dad, so I like building, I actually built a house with my dad,” Chan said. “It was really cool.”

Chan said he advises anyone to show their identity, their love and passion about engineering and to celebrate diversity.

“Celebrating everyone's authentic self, your true personality, spirit and character; wanting to build a supportive community

(for) your peers and ally is critical for success,” Chan said. “It actually focuses on the engineering side of engineering major students.”

Chan said he would like to work with everyone who has the engineering principle in their mind, who loves to learn, and improving their skills.

INFOGRAPHIC BY ALICIA ALVAREZ

ANGEL SANTIAGO SPARTAN DAILY Sheryl Ehrman, Don Beall Dean of the College of Engineering, speaks at a conference on Saturday.

BY A SOURCE: AL JAZEERA

Follow the Spartan Daily on X (formerly Twitter) @SpartanDaily

Santa Clara County approves low income housing

Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors approved the construction of 200 units of low-income housing by Coyote Creek in a 12-0 unanimous vote.

“We (the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s (VTA) board) have an opportunity and obligation, I think, to protect the weakest in our community and that is what we're doing tonight,” said Cindy Chavez, supervisor of District Two in Santa Clara County.

On Sept. 7, the board agreed to lease the land, but to also have another meeting on Thursday to approve construction.

Chavez said the 200 units will be built at Cerone Yard, a yard with around 7.2 acres of land located next to one of VTA’s stations by Coyote Creek.

She said the yard will only be able to house a maximum of 200 individuals and will have supportive services, including drug and alcohol rehabilitation services, group services and transportation services.

Chavez said Cerone Yard will be used as a low-income housing site for five years until VTA will use the land to further expand its transportation services.

Lydia Engdol, lifelong resident of San José, said she believes this proposal will give those living with severe mental disabilities a place to get medication, food, shelter, caseworkers and other resources.

Engdol said she came to the meeting to put a face to the problems of homelessness.

“I have a son who's 54 years old, living on the streets for the last 20 years, the schizophrenia paradigm,” Engdol said.

She said her son has not been able to find a place to house him and to give him medication.

Engdol said he is usually picked up by Valley Medical Center staff and is given medication until he is forced to leave the hospital.

“I asked them, ‘Why, why don’t you just keep him’ and they say, ‘Well, it's not a crime to be crazy. We can't force a person to stay and get to just live here or find them to help if they don’t want it,’ ” Engdol said.

David Cohen, San José’s representative for District Four, said he’s excited to have the district build its first lowincome housing site.

Cohen said District Four has one of the highest rates of houselessness in San José, but it doesn’t have a lowincome housing site to house its houseless residents.

“It's really important that we have (these sites),” Cohen said. “It's also important to show that we're all part of this

together in all the districts in San José and so I'm really excited that we're moving forward.”

Shaunn Cartwright, a houselessness advocate and co-founder of the Unhoused Response Group, said the city also needs to increase its focus on developing permanent supportive housing.

The Unhoused Response Group is a group run entirely by volunteers that focuses on giving unhoused residents essential supplies, according to its Facebook page.

Cartwright said “tiny homes”

and out of the property.

“We need that effort out there,” Cartwright said. “It has happened and people are leaving those kinds of homes because they don't have the ways to get anywhere particularly, people who are older and disabled.”

Otto Lee, Santa Clara County representative for District Three and vice president of the Board of Supervisors, said he wants to make sure the committees working on the proposal in the future will work on developing a shuttle service for residents living at Cerone Yard.

“This is a game changer for providing them with a well run, managed program,” he said. “It would provide them [a] safe roof over their heads, three meals a day. In case management services [will] help these residents heal while waiting to transition.”

Tammy Dhanota, VTA chapter president and region one vice president for Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 521 Chapter, said she came to the last meeting on Sept. 7 to speak out about safety issues VTA workers felt were

at least neighbors that are there today, and that means every single worker, so everyone's voice can be heard,” Dhanota said. “To make sure that it's safe to operate transit service, which is ultimately what we do ... So we need to not forget that we need to make sure that everybody stays safe.”

Chavez said she is sorry the VTA workers were villainized during the development of the project.

She said she wants the public to know how it is to have genuine policy disagreements about how to proceed when tackling different issues.

“I don't think there's anybody out here who isn't prioritizing houselessness and I can see that because often when we're having conflicts over how to do something,” Chavez said.

Rosemary Kamei, vice mayor of San José, said she is pleased that the county was able to come together to fully develop this project.

Kamei said the board needs to initiate the plan because the process to build the site is going to take time.

“You know these things don't happen by accident,” Kumei said. “I would encourage that whatever you can do now, don't wait.”

or temporary supportive housing are a temporary measure.

“People need to be able to graduate ... from supportive housing,” Cartwright said.

Cartwright also said she hopes there is a shuttle to drive people in and out of the site.

She said some from the houseless community leave these types of housing programs because they have a difficulty with finding ways to transport themselves in

Lee said he wants the shuttle services to be located adjacent to the yard.

“That will be absolutely necessary for this to work,” Lee said.

He also said he would like to request the Safety Advisory Committee to review larger and successful supportive housing projects throughout the country.

Lee said he wants to ensure Cerone Yard is safe and successful.

not addressed while developing the proposal.

Service Employees International Union is a union that represents 53,000 public, nonprofit and private-sector workers, in the Bay Area and the Central Valley.

Dhanota said despite the union workers’ past concerns with their personal safety, SEIU held a press conference hours before the meeting to show their support for the proposal.

“That means future residents,

ALINA TA | SPARTAN DAILY

David Cohen, San José city council member and representative for District Four, speaks at an event held by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Thursday night.

By Alina Ta ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

ALINA TA | SPARTAN DAILY

Cindy Chavez, Santa Clara County supervisor of District Two, discusses the Cerone Yard proposal with other supervisors on Thursday night

This is a game changer for providing them with a well run, managed program. It would provide them [a] safe roof over their heads, three meals a day. In case management services [will] help these residents heal while waiting to transition.

Otto Lee District Three representative and vice president of the Board of Supervisors for Santa Clara County

Students connect over stuffing plushies

1 2

3 6

5

PHOTOS BY MAYA BENMOKHTAR | SPARTAN DAILY

#1: Students enter the Student Union Ballroom to grab plushie-making necessities on Thursday.

#2: Attendees stuff their plushies at the "Make a Plushie" event.

#3: Students craft their plushies in groups.

#4: Attendees gather in the Student Union Ballroom to make plushies.

#5: Students select stuffed animals to make for the event.

Drake releases album for the dogs

By Maya Benmokhtar STAFF WRITER

Rapper and hip-hop artist

Drake released his eighth studio album titled “For All The Dogs” on Oct. 6. This newly-released album has already proven to be a refuge from all the mediocre album releases 2023 has brought.

Drake is one of the two most streamed artists on Spotify of the decade, according to an article by The Guardian. The Canadian artist has made a name for himself after starring as Jimmy Brooks in the teen drama series Degrassi from 2001-2009.

Drake’s music career kicked off in 2009 with the release of the mixtape “So Far Gone” and its hit single “Best I Ever Had.”

What I find incredible about Drake as an artist is how he is able to switch his flow so no two songs sound alike. His beats and vocals are always immaculate whether he’s singing or rapping.

While there are songs that feature other top artists like Chief Keef, PARTYNEXTDOOR and SZA, Drake never lets them outshine him, which to me is a true talent.

I’m not exactly Drake’s biggest fan, but this album took me by surprise and I’ll be streaming "For All The Dogs” for the next two weeks on repeat.

There are 23 tracks on the album, but here are my top 5 personal favorites.

“Slime You Out” featuring SZA was released on Sept. 15 as a sneak peak of the album. The track is slower compared to his previous songs, however it does a great job telling a story through lyrics.

The song is about toxic relationships, and giving more than you are getting from your partner. Funnily enough, SZA and Drake did date in 2008, begging the question of whether or not this song drew from their late-2000s fling.

I believe “All The Parties” featuring Chief Keef will be very popular with college students.

Between the flow, and lyrics saying things like “Used to be a smarty/ Used to wanna study/ Now she poppin’ addies/ She at all the partiеs,” which describes a life many college students lead, including me to an extent.

While Chief Keef only delivers a short chorus in this track, this is the first track

album review

Drake and Chief Keef have produced together.

“Rich Baby Daddy” featuring Sexyy Red & SZA is the epitome of Sexyy Red’s style and influence on 2023 rap. Sexyy Red proved once again that she knows how to make a song extremely catchy, and she didn’t disappoint with this feature.

I’ve been walking around the house singing, “Bend that ass over/ Let that coochie breathe/ Shake that ass bitch/ Hands on your knees” since I first heard the track.

This is the type of song that I can imagine playing while getting ready for a night out with my girls.

While Sexyy Red’s verse is repetitive and fast paced, Drake and SZA managed to calm the flow down. However, I won ’ t lie, I’m not sure if I would rank this song so highly if Sexyy Red was not featured.

Red’s lyrics will make Drake fans feel confident, afterall she is encouraging people “shake that ass for Drake/ Now shake that ass for me.”

“8am in Charlotte” has a very smooth, slow flow. With Instruments like the piano and light drums, this song is calming and I enjoy the storytelling within this freestyle track.

Drake raps in a way that makes me feel like he’s giving me a personal first-hand account of his story, not his 77.82 million monthly listeners.

At minute 2:51 of the track, Drake says “Don't even worry about it like/ Just get me back whenever, or/ Or

don’t, you know/ It is what it is, I guess,” making a personal connection to his listeners almost as if Drake himself left a voicemail on my phone.

Taking the last spot in my top 5 rankings has to be “Gently” featuring Bad Bunny. Drake doesn't even speak Spanish fluently, yet the intro is Drake singing nearly perfect Spanish.

Making a feature with a native Spanish speaker as big as Bad Bunny and nearly nailing the Spanish verses is challenging and Drake managed to pull it off.

In general, most Bad Bunny or Drake songs have me in my feels, but this one makes me want to shake my hips.

Drake announced that he will be taking a break from his music career to focus on his health as he has been vocal about his ongoing stomach problems, according to an article by The Guardian, posted hours after the release of the album.

According to the same article, his career break could take up to a year. At least Drake fans were left with an awesome album to hold onto before this hiatus. According to a No Jumper article Drake is one song away from tying Michael Jackson for most No. 1 songs by a male solo artist.

I believe Drake’s album “For All The Dogs” does have a good chance in making hits, however judging by

the media’s response to the album release, fans seem to be saying they miss the old Drake.

Personally, I feel as if this “new” Drake is just the evolution of Drake’s growth as an artist.

Regardless of the negative feedback he may be receiving for switching the types of beats he usually tends to go for or adding new coming artists on features, he continues to expand and make his name relevant.

Follow Maya on X (formerly Twitter) @mayaben10

TRACY ESCOBEDO | SPARTAN DAILY

Israel isn’t the victim, Palestine is

Bojana Cvijic SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

Western hypocrisy never shines brighter than it does when it comes to Palestine.

On Saturday, Palestinian militant groups led by Hamas, which has de facto governed the Gaza Strip since 2007, led a large-scale attack against Israel breaking through the barrier separating the Gaza Strip from the rest of Israel, where the group took control of Israeli settlements and military outposts, according to a Saturday article by Al Jazeera.

1,100 people have been killed with thousands wounded on both sides, according to a Sunday article by AP News.

My question is this, what do people expect when the people of the Gaza Strip have been subjected to live in the largest open-air prison in the world?

It has been more than 50 years of occupation by Israel and 10 years of a land, air and water blockade from Egypt and Israel, with reports that Gaza would become unlivable by 2020, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council.

The Israeli Defense Forces have stated that “Hamas has opened the gates of hell on the Gaza Strip,” and that’s exactly what Israel, not Hamas, has done to the area for years.

The Israeli regime is completely responsible for the events unfolding in the past couple of days.

7 out of 10 Palestinians are registered as refugees in Gaza, and many of these people are descendants of families who had to flee their homes in 1948 when

their the mandate of Palestine was announced to become the state of Israel, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council report.

50% of Gaza’s population is under the age of 18, with the median age of the population being 19-yearsold, according to an Aug 24, 2014 article by the Telegraph

In July, the Israeli militar y conducted a massive assault on the Jenin refugee camp, the same place where the Israeli military shot and killed Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh the year prior, according to a July 4, 2023 Guardian News article.

Every year during Ramadan and Eid, there are violent confrontations n by Israeli policemen and settlers at the Al-Aqsa compound, one of the holiest sites in Islam, according to an Apr. 5 A Al l Jazeera news article e

On April 5, 50

Palestinians were injured and 400 were arrested after attacks during evening prayer at the site during the convergence of the holy holidays of Ramdan, Passover and Easter, according to an Apr. 5 BBC News article.

In May 2021, there were illegal attacks by Israeli settlers who invaded Palestinian homes in the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, where six families were wrongfully evicted from their homes to make room for settlers, according to a May 7, 2021 New York Times article.

This of course comes with the full support of the U.S. and Israel backing these takeovers of land.

The settlements are declared as illegal by the United Nations, according to its Dec. 23, 2016 press release.

The list can go on.

How much more do Palestinians need to take before they finally say enough is enough?

What is Palestine supposed to do when its population is imprisoned, killed and its lands are consistently being stolen by people who have no right or claims to it?

Of course, the outpouring of support for Israel from the U.S. and other western governments was swift, with President Joe Biden announcing billions of dollars in aid to “help” Israel fight this “invasion” by Hamas.

The response by the Israeli government and military has been brutal.

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant stated "I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed. We are fighting human animals and we will act accordingly."

To the Israeli government, Palestinians

government, Palestinians are animals, not deserving of life or humanity.

Israel controls the food water and electricity which comes through to the Gaza Strip and that has been completely taken away from the people living in the region.

Prime minister Benjamin Netanathyu is casually posting international war crimes on his X account, sharing videos s of air strikes against residential buildings which he says are “Hamas hideouts.” When in reality, y it i is s

just where Palestinians live. Other attacks from the Israeli military, according to reports from the Times of Gaza, include using banned white phosphorus, a chemical agent used in bombs which along with their destructive explosive power, can spread fire at temperatures up to 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit, according to WebMD.

blockades, arbitrary detentions and checkpoints, targeted killings and family separation - the existence of the Palestinian people is an existence of a slow and painful death under a regime which subjects them to it.

Is it really an invasion when Palestnians have called this their home for centuries?

normally see sports organizations vocalize support for specific nations through conflicts? Very rarely.

The European Union attempted to block any aid to Palestine, with Ireland blocking the removal, according to a Monday Reuters news article.

Protests have occurred across the nation in support of Palestine and local governments in cities including New York, have stated they are “watching” the events unfold and the protests have “no place” in our cities, according to statements by New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

writer for the publication, released an opinion article stating Israel can’t imprison two million people without paying a cruel price.

Where is this here in the West with our major publications? How is Israel’s coverage more diverse in support of change than ours?

Other aspects of media are celebrities using their platforms to vocalize their support for Israel.

A more prominent example is actress Jamie Lee Curtis, who in her deleted posts on Instagram, posted a picture of Palestinian children being attacked by the Israeli military writing that therey were Israeli children being attacked by Paletinians.

It’s time for the media to see these attacks for what it is: genocide.

In just 36 hours, Israel has destroyed 1,210 homes, 13 residential and high-rise buildings, 3 United Nations schools, 3 mosques, and one of the oldest churches in the world. The Church of Saint Porphyrius, 1,600 years old, has been almost decimated by Israeli airstrikes.

74,000 people in the Gaza Strip have been internally displaced, with over 410 people killed including 79 children and 8 entire families, according to a Monday X post by Muhammad Shehada, a Gazan journalist reporting from the region.

Israel is not the victim, its financial and military power with the full backing of the U.S. and other Western governments do not make it the victim here, but the oppressors backing an apartheid regime which violently oppresses the Palestinian people on their own land.

The Nakba, or “the disaster” was the destruction of Palestinian society and homeland in 1948, when the state of Israel was established, according to a May 15, 2022 Al Jazeera article.

It seems that the disaster continues for Palestinians, while being ignored by media outlets.

The blatant and purposeful hypocrisy is seen with media coverage of the attack by Western news outlets.

BBC World news wrote a headline on X, formerly known as Twitter, which states “More than 500 people have died in Gaza after Israel launched massive retaliatory air strikes, according to Gaza's health ministry.”

Palestinians just magically die, while Israelis are killed.

The passive voice is a small yet loud way of showing the cards are already stacked against Palestinians in news media outlets we all follow.

Major U.S. cities announced they are bolstering security around synagogues as well as mosques after the events on Saturday, according to live updates from NBC News.

It’s ironic that this is the case, when threats and attacks against synagogues in the U.S. have come from white supremacists, not Palestinians.

It’s a dangerous conflation to liken Palestinians to people who already have decided and carried out attacks against synagogues in the country, including the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting on Oct. 27, 2018, where 11 people were killed and wounded six, according to an Oct. 27, 2018 New York Times article.

It’s another dangerous mindset to conflate criticism of Zionism, which is the political ideology to establish a Jewish state and antisemitism, which is the hatred of Jewish people, as one in the same.

All of this put together is the machine which keeps U.S. propaganda for Israel strong, hiding the true picture of what actually happens in the region and erasing the plight of the Palestinian people.

I do not care what celebrities think and I do not care what the U.S. government says, a government which pours billions of dollars in aid to Israel and Ukraine, while purposely ignoring the issues which we face here.

A government that was built on the backs of enslaved people and the decimation of the indigenous population in this country, a country that isn’t really ours.

Gazan translator and editor Refaat Alareer in an interview with Electronic Intifada, an independent online news publication focusing on Palestine, said how bleak and dark the situation is, without absolutely no way out.

Israeli violence has formed the backbone of the brutality the region sees on a daily basis.

a basis.

75 years of systemic land seizures, routine airstrikes,

Sports organizations including the NFL, MLB and the NBA all posted

and the NBA all statements of support for Israel, when do you

For over a century, Jewish people around the world have maintained a strong dissent against Zionism, according to Jewish Voice for Peace, the largest Jewish

for Peace, the Jewish progressive organization against Zionism in the world Haaretz, the largest news organization in Israel has more diverse articles and opinions on what is happening in the Gaza Strip than most, if not all, news organizations here. In an editorial by the publication, Haaretz wrote that Netanhyau bears responsibility for the Israel-Gaza War.

Gideon Levy, a

Alareer said he does not have much to defend himself with, but with what he has if Israeli soldiers come to his door, he will have to.

to.

This is the feeling of everybody (Gazans), we are helpless, we have nothing to lose,” Alareer said in the interview.

Palestinians have been pushed to the brink of having no choice but to resist and fight back on their land that has been taken away from them, it has been years of brutal subjugation and none of us should be surprised that are back in way they possibly can.

they are fighting back in any

Follow Bojana on X (formerly Twitter) @bojanacv

It’s time for the media to see these attacks for what it is: genocide.

GRAPHIC BY ALICIA ALVAREZ

Canilao’ s Commentary: SJSU crumbles on Boise’s blue turf in second half

By Nathan Canilao SENIOR STAFF WRITER

San José State’s second-half offense has been the team’s Achilles’ heel this whole season.

In the past three games, the Spartans have scored just 7 second-half points. The last time SJSU scored in the second half was three weeks ago against Toledo.

Saturday’s 35-27 loss to Boise State was just another example of the Spartans’ second-half collapses.

“It’s a four quarter game,” said SJSU running back Kairee Robinson after Saturday’s loss. “I guess we got complacent. We came out doing our thing in the first half, but in the second half we weren’t striking on all cylinders.”

SJSU held a 27-7 lead in the second quarter and went into halftime up 27-14. One more scoring drive could have put the game away for SJSU, but the offense faltered.

In the first half, SJSU garnered 313 yards of total offense and 13 first downs which led to 27 points. But the second half was a different story, the Spartan offense totaled just 100 yards, 6 first downs and no points.

A big reason for the lack of production has been quarterback Chevan Cordeiro’s second-half woes. In the last three second halves, Cordeiro has thrown 3 interceptions and has just a single touchdown.

Against Boise, Cordeiro completed 12 of 22 passes for 70 yards and an interception. The Spartans have had opportunities late in the last three games to pull out a win with Cordeiro at the helm, but he hasn’t been able to lead SJSU to a win.

“There's a lot of things I still need to work on myself like focusing on the little details,” Cordeiro said in a post practice interview on Monday. “Those details really matter in the fourth quarter.”

But the offensive second half struggles are not all on Cordeiro. Conservative play calling, especially in the third quarter, has led to the Spartans not being able to produce consistently in the second half.

SJSU blows 17-0 lead in third straight loss

By Nathan Canilao SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The looks of disappointment and disbelief was all over San José State football players’ faces as they walked off the field at Albertsons Stadium after the Spartans blew a 20-point lead en route to a 35-27 loss to Boise State on Saturday.

SJSU quarterback Chevan Cordeiro completed 23 of 38 passes for 325 yards, threw an interception and ran for a touchdown.

Senior running back

Kairee Robinson totaled 134 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown.

Boise State’s quarterback duo of sophomore Taylen Green and freshman Maddux Madsen combined for 229 yards passing

BRONCOS

and 5 touchdowns.

“I don’t have an answer for what happened in the second half, but we didn’t help ourselves at all,” said SJSU head coach Brent Brennan. “We didn’t score any points and we didn’t get a stop. And that’s just really heartbreaking.”

SJSU dominated the first half. The Spartans took a 27-7 lead with 4:56 left in the second quarter after junior running back Quali Conley rushed for a 7-yard touchdown. On the ensuing possession, Madsen drove the Boise State offense 70 yards on 14 plays, ending in an 8-yard touchdown run from Madsen.

The Spartans’ defense had its best half of the season, forcing three turnovers (2 fumbles and an interception) which led to 21 first-half points.

SJSU went into halftime with a 27-14 lead.

It all fell apart in the second half for the Spartans as the Broncos scored 21 unanswered points. SJSU’s offense went cold and could only muster up 100 total yards and no points.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Green ran for an 11-yard touchdown to give Boise State its first lead of the game 28-27. After the Spartans punted on the next possession, Green led an 80 yard, 13-play drive that

finished with a two-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Riley Smith giving the Broncos a 35-27 lead.

When SJSU got the ball back on the ensuing possession, Cordeiro threw a costly interception with 3:35 left in the game. Boise State missed a field goal and gave the ball back to SJSU with 50 seconds left, but Cordeiro was stopped in four downs.

“We didn’t make enough plays,” Robinson said about the offense stalling in the second half. “We just didn’t

do enough as an offense, and me personally, I didn’t do enough either.”

The Spartans have now been outscored 56-7 in the second half of the last three games. SJSU is scheduled to go back on the road when the Spartans face New Mexico at 3 p.m. PDT at University Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

In SJSU’s two drives of the third quarter against Boise State, the Spartans mostly threw the ball over the middle for short gains or tried to set up bubble screens on the outside which gained little yardage.

Over the last three games, SJSU has the second-worst second half offense in the nation with an average of 2.3 points scored. It’s a night and day difference from last season when SJSU averaged over 14 points per game in the second half.

“We just have to be on the same page and focus on the little details,” Cordeiro said in the same post practice interview. “We were driving and got into field goal range. We just have to fix those things and focus on New Mexico Saturday.”

SJSU quarterback Chevan Cordeiro runs out of the pocket in the Spartans' loss against Boise State on Saturday.

SJSU junior wide receiver Isaac Jernagin catches the ball for a first down in the first quarter at Albertsons Staidum.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SJSU ATHLETICS

Follow Nathan on X (formerly Twitter) @nathancanilao

Follow Nathan on X (formerly Twitter) @nathancanilao

By Lamar Moody STAFF WRITER

The San José State women’s soccer team lost a nail biter 1-0 when it hosted Mountain West Conference rival the University of Wyoming on Thursday.

This was a rematch of the 2022 MWC semifinal game in which SJSU won 6-5 in a shootout.

The Spartans (3-5-5, 1-2-2 MWC) were stunned in the 89th minute as the Cowgirls’ (5-5-3, 1-4 MWC) midfielder Alyssa Glover assisted defender Keelie Wortmann for her first goal of the season, giving Wyoming the deciding goal.

COWGIRLS 1

SPARTANS

Spartan’s head coach Tina Estrada said the loss was because of lack of focus on the game plan in the game’s final minutes.

"At the start of the game we were doing good but we didn't execute the end of match tactics and fell apart in the end," Estrada said.

Senior midfielder Sabrina Weinman led the Spartans’ offense against the Cowgirls with 4 shots total and 3 shots on goal.

"If we could have put some goals away in the first half, we wouldn't have been in the bind we were in, in the second half," Weinman said. "We wanted to start off with more energy in the second half and felt like we did but the goalies from Wyoming made some good saves."

The Spartans closest chance at getting on the board came in the 18th minute when junior midfielder Taylor Phillips put one in the back of the net.

The goal however, was called back because of an offsides penalty.

Weinman said the team played with momentum in the first half, being

aggressive and pressing up close defensively but being a player down in the second half put them in a tough spot with time winding down.

Midfielder Kiana Miyazato was ejected after receiving a red card in the 51st minute causing the Spartans to be down a player for the rest of the match.

Thursday’s game presented one of the more

physical matchups for the Spartans this season with Wyoming receiving 5 yellow cards.

In the 90th minute the Spartans were able to get two shots off by Evan House and Iliana Jasso but

could not come up with the equalizer.

Sophomore goalkeeper Bente Pernot ended the game with three saves and one goal allowed.

“(I’m) proud of my team and the way we played tonight, especially being down a player for most of the second half. We handled the counter attacks from Wyoming excellently until the end there,” Pernot said.

The Spartans would go on to draw against Colorado State on Sunday 4-4. SJSU is set to face off against Boise State at 6 p.m. PDT Thursday at the Boas Soccer Complex in Boise.

PHOTOS BY LAMAR MOODY | SPARTAN DAILY

SJSU junior midfielder Bella Flocchini dribbles the ball down the pitch against the University of Wyoming in the Spartans’ loss at the Spartan Soccer Complex on Thursday.