NC State DT Brandon Cleveland: "We're Going To Stick To What We're Doing"

NC State defensive tackle Brandon Cleveland met with the media to discuss the upcoming matchup against Virginia Tech.

NOTE: Click the video above to watch the interview.

On taking the next step defensively and kind of getting back to where you all have been...
We just got to stick to our, I mean, we believe in Coach Eliot. We got to stick to it and just keep fine-tuning. Obviously, it's the first year with him, so there's gonna be wrinkles here and there, but we're very confident in him, and we're going to stick to doing what we're doing. 

How much did the defensive line change when Cian went down in the second quarter?
I don't think it changed at all. We have the next man up mentality, so we don't want any drop-offs. So we're going to keep playing fast no matter who's in the game.

Defensive tackles don't usually get a chance to run up a ton of stats. You had two and a half tackles for loss this past weekend. What were some of those moments like for you to be able to make some of those impact plays?
Well, yeah, I mean, obviously, I play D-line. I get a lot of double teams, so it's a good feeling when I get to beat two people and go make a play, so that's exciting. 

How important is it for you guys to not only stop opposing offenses, but continue to stop the run on a consistent basis? 
Yeah, I think our run game is pretty good, besides that long run, obviously, but yeah, we're gonna keep honing in on that and keep stopping the run, and that's the core.

Kyron Drones does a lot of running himself...
Yeah, he's very athletic. He's a very good quarterback, but we just have to play disciplined, cage him up, and we'll be good.