Brandon Cleveland Offers Blunt Thoughts After Pitt Loss

The Wolfpack nose tackle battled throughout NC State's 53-34 loss to Pitt.

Dec 30, 2022; Charlotte, NC, USA; Maryland Terrapins quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa (3) scrambles as North Carolina State Wolfpack defensive lineman Brandon Cleveland (44) defends in the fourth quarter in the 2022 Duke's Mayo Bowl at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

RALEIGH — NC State's defense failed to improve after the bye week, allowing 53 points to a red-hot Pittsburgh Panther offense Saturday. The Wolfpack was left stunned by the loss, having entered with expectations of turning the season around on the road.

Nose tackle Brandon Cleveland was one of the few bright spots on the defensive side of the football for NC State, as he finished the game with six tackles. He finished with a 66.6 PFF run defense grade. Cleveland expressed confidence about the upcoming matchup, given the extra time the team had to prepare for Pitt, but was clearly disappointed in his own performance as well as the team's.

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— NC State Football (@PackFootball) October 25, 2025

Pittsburgh freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel picked apart the Wolfpack defense, throwing for over 400 yards and three touchdowns.

The veteran defensive lineman spoke after the game about his own performance and what went wrong for NC State's continually collapsing defense.

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Selection of Cleveland's Quotes

Sep 9, 2023; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Sam Hartman (10) fumbles after being sacked by North Carolina State Wolfpack defensive end Brandon Cleveland (44) during the second half at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

On the team's mindset and approach over the last four games of the 2025 season

• "Our goal is to win all games. We’re going to learn from this game, put it to bed and just keep improving. No one’s going to quit. That’s not our team. That’s not our culture. We’re going to keep fighting."

On Pitt's offensive line and quarterback Mason Heintschel's abilities being surprising

• "We’ve just got to be better up front. That’s on us as the D-line. We’ve got to get more pressures. We’re going to take that... It's football."

Oct 25, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers running back Ja'Kyrian Turner (25) carries the ball against the North Carolina State Wolfpack during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

On the Wolfpack's failures to make adjustments after having the bye week to prepare for the Pitt game

• "With the bye week, we stuck to ourselves, focused on what we were good at and tried to fix the things we were bad at. As you could see, we just didn’t execute."

On the defensive penalties throughout the game

• "We came in this week thinking Pitt was the more undisciplined team. Obviously, that didn’t show tonight. We were the more undisciplined team. We just beat ourselves."

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