Mizzou vs. New Mexico State Notebook: Barrett Banister Shines on Senior Night, Cody Schrader Steady

The Missouri Tigers got one step closer to bowl eligibility with a win over the New Mexico State Aggies Saturday night.

The Missouri Tigers had a common goal headed into Saturday's home matchup against the New Mexico State Aggies: honor the seniors with a win on Senior Night.

And behind a stout defensive performance and an all-around productive night on offense, the Tigers (5-6) were able to send their seniors out in style with a 45-14 win over the Aggies (4-6).

Let's look at a few takeaways from the victory.

Cody Schrader the Workhorse

Schrader finished with 18 carries for 70 yards and two touchdowns but did tons of damage as a receiver as well. He tied a season-high in catches (four) but posted a new season-best in receiving yards 47. Saturday marked the third time he's totaled 20 or more touches this season.

The Tigers were able to build an early lead due to the efforts of Schrader, as he had five straight touches on Mizzou's second drive of the game. He capped off that same drive with a two-yard touchdown, as he had totaled eight carries and two catches on the possession.

Schrader didn't stop there, as he totaled five carries on seven plays on the next drive for the Tigers, which ended in a 32-yard touchdown for tight end Ryan Hoerstkamp.

Schrader saw his final real workload of the night early in third quarter. He added five more carries, the final of which resulted in a diving five-yard touchdown. The former D-II running back has been a remarkable story this season and continued to prove he's meant to be starting ball-carrier in the SEC.

Mizzou's defense bounces back

New Mexico State's offense hardly resembles that of the Tennessee Volunteers, but the Tigers defense needed Saturday's pick-me-up performance after allowing the Vols to blow open the game in last week's loss.

The Tigers pitched a first-half shutout and didn't allow the Aggies to score until late in the third quarter. The takeaways didn't start piling up until the fourth quarter, as the Tigers got back-to-back interceptions less than a minute apart. One went back to the house, as Daylan Carnell took his pick 40 yards back for a touchdown, the second defensive score for the Tigers this season.

Mizzou allowed another late touchdown for the Aggies, but it hardly mattered in a game that was well out of reach. However, Mizzou defensive coordinator Blake Baker won't be happy to see that the Tigers allowed the Aggies to go 8 of 16 on third down.

Barett Banister has fitting performance on Senior Night

Banister has been at Mizzou for five seasons and is the clear old man on the roster. And it what could be his second-to-last game as a Tiger if Mizzou fails to qualify for a bowl game, he showed out for his best performance of the season.

He finished as the game's leading receiver, totaling seven catches for a season-high 91 yards. Banister was steady in the mid-range passing game, as he had five grabs of 10 yards or more.

Unfortunately, he left in the fourth quarter and stumbled toward the sideline after taking a hit to the upper body.

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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