Most people tend to remember seasons in moments or plays.

Sure, you may remember watching every game, and if someone wanted to re-watch a game from earlier this season, let's say Missouri versus South Dakota, you might remember some things and be able to anticipate what's going to happen on a play-by-play basis.

But when you think of that game as a whole you think of a couple of plays.

You may remember most of what happened in the key wins or losses of a particular season, but typically the spectacular highlight-worthy plays, game-winning moments and or plays that took the air out of your lungs, are what first come to mind.

So while we wait for the Tigers to play in their first New Year's Six bowl, let's take a look at some of the plays that will likely define the team's best season in almost a decade.

Almost everyone remembers the embarrassing 40-12 Week 2 win the Wildcats claimed over the Tigers a year ago in the Sunflower State.

In a matchup that hadn't been played in 11 years, the Tigers flat-out got their butt kicked and needed the final play of the game to score a touchdown, and that came after a penalty gave the Tigers an untimed down with the clock already at triple zeroes.

The Tigers vowed to put on a better performance in this year's Week 3 contest in what quarterback Brady Cook called a "revenge" game.

The Wildcats entered the game at No. 15, meanwhile, the Tigers were not only looking to knock off their rival but see how it matched up versus one of the nation’s better and possibly give an indication of how the season could turn out.

In the first couple of games, Missouri's offense looked almost like a copy-and-paste from last year's vanilla offense despite head coach Eli Drinkwitz bringing in Kirby Moore to be the new offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach and play caller.

But in this game we'd learn that Moore had been pulling his punches and waiting for that moment to start unloading haymakers.

With just over eight minutes to go in the first quarter, down 7-0, Cook launched a pass 47 yards to wide receiver Luther Burden III, who had beat his man and the deep safety on a post route for the team's first touchdown.

A touchdown that came about 52 minutes earlier than the lone touchdown they had on the road a year ago.

"I think, you know, the first touchdown to Luther in the K-State game 一 I think that was the biggest momentum because I think after that touchdown I think the belief through this team was like we can do this. We belong," running back Cody Schrader said.

It was an eye-opening moment because the deep passing game had been deemed non existent for the past couple of years. People had been wondering where the explosive offense Drinkwitz had been talking about was at and this play showed that it had finally arrived.

While technically not a play, this performance will go down as not only one of the best performances in school history or SEC history but college football history.

Schrader became the first player in league history and the 10th in FBS history to record 200 or more rushing yards and 100 or more receiving yards in the same game, when he did it versus Tennessee in Week 11.

He finished the game with 205 yards on the ground with a touchdown on 35 carries while adding five receptions for 116 receiving yards.

Some of the more impressive stuff about this performance was that the Vols were ranked 13th in the nation at the time and had a top-15 run defense.

This game marked the first of three straight games in which Schrader had 100 or more rushing yards in the first half.

Also, his first big play was a 38-yard reception along the right sideline early in the first quarter.

His Mizzou career-high for receiving yards in a game was 47 versus New Mexico State in Week 12 of last year. On top of that, he entered the game with 75 receiving yards on the season.

So, the signs of a special game were evident early.

To top it off, he was able to get his head coach a little emotional postgame. Drinkwitz told Moore to call more plays for Schrader in the last few minutes of the game, as the future Burlsworth Trophy winner needed 13 yards to break the school's single-game scrimmage record. Schrader politely declined, suggesting that the identity of the team is bigger than personal accolades.

Coming off the heels of a game that slipped through their fingers late versus LSU the week prior, the Tigers were looking like they were going to do a lot more than just allow the game against then-No. 24 Kentucky to slip through their hands.

The Tigers didn't show up for the first 18 minutes of the game. They turned the ball over on the opening drive and allowed Kentucky to get off to a quick 14-0 first-quarter lead.

Then, with a little less than 12 minutes to go in the second quarter punter Luke Bauer and the special teams unit trotted on the field for what appeared to be a punt on fourth and 10 from Kentucky's 39-yard line.

Sparking the question as to why the Tigers would punt when they’re in Harrison Mevis' range?

The answer would be clear real soon.

Bauer would snap the ball and throw a phenomenal pass to Speedy Johnson, who made a catch that was a little bit more contested than he anticipated for the 39-yard touchdown score. That score would spark a 38-7 run to the end of the game for Mizzou.

This game showed how Missouri would respond from its first loss of the season. It didn’t start off well, but after that play the team seemed to not only be re-energized for the rest of the game but the rest of the season.

When the third College Football Playoff rankings came out after the Tigers thrashed Tennessee, and Missouri was revealed as the No. 9 team, the picture became clear.

Defeat Florida and Arkansas in the final two games of the season and the Tigers were almost guaranteed a New Year's Six bowl berth.

It sounded easy enough.

Florida was coming off of a 17-point loss to LSU and entered the game at 5-5.

Well, the Billy Napier team that showed up to Faurot Field in Week 12 wasn't ducking any punches and was the aggressor at points in the game as the contest was close throughout. Even early in the fourth quarter, when the Gators were down nine, they erased the deficit to take a 31-30 lead with a minute and 36 seconds left in regulation.

Missouri's final drive started well when the Tigers converted on a third and eight early in the drive, but then it would unravel a bit. Mizzou committed a false start to set the team back five yards on the new set of downs.

A completion to Schrader for minus-two yards and consecutive incomplete passes set up the play from that game that will go down as one of the better plays in school history.

On fourth and 17, with 38 seconds left in regulation and no timeouts, the Tigers needed to get into field goal range or else the game would be over and their New Year's Six bowl berth hopes would be all but dashed.

Cook would take the snap from the shotgun and eye the right side of the field looking for his All-SEC first-team receiver and complete a 27-yard pass to Burden.

After that Cook would complete a couple more passes to Mekhi Miller and Mookie Cooper to get an easier field goal attempt for Mevis, but the 12-play, 62-yard drive that ends with Mevis' second game-winning field goal doesn't happen without the fourth down conversion.

Saying the fourth down conversion saved the season sounds a bit strong. The team had already accomplished more than most people thought they would this season.

At the same time, the conversion preserved the team's 10-win season and their eventual Cotton Bowl berth.

We've already touched on why this game was important.

Down the stretch, K-State had knotted the ball game up at 27 after a field goal with five minutes and 25 seconds left in regulation. The Wildcats forced a quick three-and-out and seemed primed to have the ball last with the chance to at least get a game-winning field goal attempt.

However, Chris Klieman and the Wildcats mismanaged the drive and the clock.

They started the possession with the ball at their 39-yard line and got a first down on their first third down of the drive to reach midfield. Then, a penalty moved them back to first and 15. After a Kansas State timeout, quarterback Will Howard threw an incomplete pass and then completed a pass for one yard on third down leaving Missouri time to possess the ball with a minute and 25 seconds left.

The Tigers went 38 yards on 10 plays and ended the drive and the game with Mevis making an SEC record 61-yard field goal as time expired.

It was the first big win of the season and it foreshadowed that the team that went 6-6 last year and 2-4 in one-score games wasn't going to return in 2023.

That kick gave the team hope and confidence that it could be one of the best teams in the sport, and that's what happened.

The only thing left for the Tigers to do is try and defeat No. 7 Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 29 in Arlington, Texas, and create more positive memories in what is already one of the best seasons in program history.

Stay up to date on all the Mizzou news with your premium subscription

Talk about this story and more in The Tigers' Lair

Make sure you're caught up on all the Tiger news and headlines

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video and live streaming coverage

Follow our entire staff on Twitter