WATCH: NC State NT Brandon Cleveland Hated Watching the 1st Half of the ECU Game from the Locker Room (with transcript)

Senior starting Nose Tackle Brandon Cleveland had to sit out the first half of NC State’s game against ECU last Thursday, due to his involvement in the postgame brawl after the Military Bowl against the Pirates.

Cleveland logged 1 tackle in NC State’s 24-17 win over ECU.

He spoke with the media yesterday after practice, unpacking how hard it was for him to watch the first half on the field, rather than warring in the trenches with his brothers on the Defensive Line.

You can watch the video ABOVE, and read the transcript BELOW.

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What was it like for you to have to sit there in the first half and not be able to get out there?

I mean, it was very hard, just sitting there watching the guys get out there and play, and I couldn’t play. So I definitely learned from the last ECU game. It was a dumb decision to fight and stuff, and I’ll never do it again. It was like the worst feeling in my life, to be there in the locker room, watching them play.

Were you able to notice anything by watching the first half that you could use when you went out there the second half?

Yeah, definitely. I’m watching them play, and I’m about to go out there and play against them. So I got a lot of things in my head.

How different was your energy level going into the second half, knowing, ‘All right, I’m fresh, I can make an impact?’

I knew I was fresh and stuff, but I still just wanted to execute and do the right assignment, because at the same time, they’ve been playing a game, and been in the game, so I just wanted to make sure I was still on point.

Where’d you watch that?

Just on TV.

Did you laugh when they put the TV cameras on you?

Yeah, that was funny.

What was it like to see the young guys? Especially Josiah Victor.

I mean, it warms my heart, because I pour a lot into them. To see them go out there and execute, it meant a lot. It says a lot about me.

What was your impression of the EDGE players, especially Harsh and Slone?

Yeah, those guys are dogs. I mean, Nose Tackles don’t really make a lot of plays, but we stop a lot of plays. So to stop plays and feed them to them, and they make plays, and feed them back to me, is just a good feeling to be out there, and be all in unison together.

Have you seen Virginia yet? Your impressions?

I think they’re a good O-Line. They play square, so we’ve just got to out physical them, and that usually wins the game.

ECU rushed for around 40 yards in the game. How much pride do you guys take in that, especially after what happened last time around?

I mean, I think it starts up front, so I mean, we take that personal. We don’t want guys running the ball on us.

We want to dominate the opposing O-Line. So it means a lot to not have a lot of rushing yards on us.