Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Stribling filling in admirably in MT secondary
11/27/2019 5:00:00 PM | Football
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — The pesky injury bug has run rampant through Middle Tennessee's football team this season, causing more than a handful of Blue Raiders to take on expanded and sometimes unexpected roles.
One of those players has stepped into the starting lineup beautifully the past few weeks.
When junior Reed Blankenship suffered a season-ending leg injury against North Texas, redshirt junior Kylan Stribling was the next man up to step alongside senior Jovante Moffatt as MT's starting safeties.
Blankenship left big shoes to fill, leading the team in tackles through seven games (58) and adding two interceptions and two blocked kicks. Stribling has done an admirable job stepping in, though.
Over the past three games, Stribling leads the team with 30 tackles. He set a career single-game high for tackles (14) against Rice and secured the first interception of his career against Old Dominion, returning it for Middle Tennessee's first defensive touchdown this season.
"I had confidence coming into the backup role when Reed went down," he said after the win over ODU. "I've had determination in practice, telling myself I have to pick it up too because we had a great player go down and we can't have a drop off."
This is really Stribling's second go of stepping into the starting lineup for an injured safety.
Last season, while Moffatt played in only four games due to shoulder surgeries, Stribling was primed to enter the defensive backfield next to Blankenship.
He started the first two games, but an injury caused him to miss the next two. He would come back for a few games then be lost again for the rest of the season, finishing with 18 tackles and a sack in seven games.
Getting a second chance at entering the starting lineup is an opportunity Stribling isn't taking for granted, and though the Blue Raiders haven't had quite the season they were hoping for, he said there's still plenty to accomplish.
"The seniors, they're playing their last game, so everyone's excited," he said. "Being Thanksgiving break, we don't have class, so we're just getting into the film room and focusing on ball."
Next year at this time, Stribling will be one of those seniors vying for a career-closing win. Between now and then, he'll graduate in a few weeks at the close of the fall semester with a degree in business administration then start a master's program.
To be able to have a degree in hand when he plays his final college football season will be a blessing for Stribling, who has won the team's freshman and sophomore academic awards.
"I've been waiting for graduation since the day I stepped on campus," he said. "I just want to make my parents and my family proud and finally say that I graduated college."
Once the dust settles on another Middle Tennessee rivalry game at WKU, the Blue Raiders will switch their focus to the 2020 season.
For Stribling and his fellow seniors, that means there'll only be one more season under the lights of Floyd Stadium. That's a bit of a far-off thought for him at this point, though he already knows what the appreciation will feel like.
Stribling hails from Thompson's Station, Tennessee, where he starred at Independence High School, winning a state championship as a senior with a perfect 15-0 record. While his hometown is just a little over a half hour away, he's found a love for Murfreesboro.
"It just feels like home," he said. "It's just a great place … and it's easy on my parents. They can come watch every game."
Injuries have greatly affected the Blue Raiders' roster this season, with starters missing time all over both sides of the ball and backups having to step up.
If the past few weeks are any indication, Middle Tennessee's defensive backfield is in good hands heading into this rivalry week and next season.
One of those players has stepped into the starting lineup beautifully the past few weeks.
When junior Reed Blankenship suffered a season-ending leg injury against North Texas, redshirt junior Kylan Stribling was the next man up to step alongside senior Jovante Moffatt as MT's starting safeties.
Blankenship left big shoes to fill, leading the team in tackles through seven games (58) and adding two interceptions and two blocked kicks. Stribling has done an admirable job stepping in, though.
Over the past three games, Stribling leads the team with 30 tackles. He set a career single-game high for tackles (14) against Rice and secured the first interception of his career against Old Dominion, returning it for Middle Tennessee's first defensive touchdown this season.
"I had confidence coming into the backup role when Reed went down," he said after the win over ODU. "I've had determination in practice, telling myself I have to pick it up too because we had a great player go down and we can't have a drop off."
This is really Stribling's second go of stepping into the starting lineup for an injured safety.
Last season, while Moffatt played in only four games due to shoulder surgeries, Stribling was primed to enter the defensive backfield next to Blankenship.
He started the first two games, but an injury caused him to miss the next two. He would come back for a few games then be lost again for the rest of the season, finishing with 18 tackles and a sack in seven games.
Getting a second chance at entering the starting lineup is an opportunity Stribling isn't taking for granted, and though the Blue Raiders haven't had quite the season they were hoping for, he said there's still plenty to accomplish.
"The seniors, they're playing their last game, so everyone's excited," he said. "Being Thanksgiving break, we don't have class, so we're just getting into the film room and focusing on ball."
Next year at this time, Stribling will be one of those seniors vying for a career-closing win. Between now and then, he'll graduate in a few weeks at the close of the fall semester with a degree in business administration then start a master's program.
To be able to have a degree in hand when he plays his final college football season will be a blessing for Stribling, who has won the team's freshman and sophomore academic awards.
"I've been waiting for graduation since the day I stepped on campus," he said. "I just want to make my parents and my family proud and finally say that I graduated college."
Once the dust settles on another Middle Tennessee rivalry game at WKU, the Blue Raiders will switch their focus to the 2020 season.
For Stribling and his fellow seniors, that means there'll only be one more season under the lights of Floyd Stadium. That's a bit of a far-off thought for him at this point, though he already knows what the appreciation will feel like.
Stribling hails from Thompson's Station, Tennessee, where he starred at Independence High School, winning a state championship as a senior with a perfect 15-0 record. While his hometown is just a little over a half hour away, he's found a love for Murfreesboro.
"It just feels like home," he said. "It's just a great place … and it's easy on my parents. They can come watch every game."
Injuries have greatly affected the Blue Raiders' roster this season, with starters missing time all over both sides of the ball and backups having to step up.
If the past few weeks are any indication, Middle Tennessee's defensive backfield is in good hands heading into this rivalry week and next season.
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