What Eli Hoff learned at Mizzou football's closed scrimmage

COLUMBIA, Mo. — For what’ll likely be the last time during fall camp, Missouri football practiced live: pads on, hits allowed.

The Tigers held their second scrimmage of the preseason Saturday and invited a select group of media, including the Post-Dispatch, to observe. The more than two-hour scrimmage is still a small sample size, but it’s the best window yet into key position battles, how the Mizzou offense and defense look and which players could be primed for a breakout.

The scrimmage wasn’t set up as a true game. Rather, the first-, second- and third-team offense and defenses went against each other in situational drills. First, the offense was backed up against its own goal line and needed to find some breathing room. Then the offense started on the 20 to rep the red zone. Then the