Notebook: Saturday's Missouri football scrimmage

COLUMBIA — While it was difficult to focus on much other than the 105-degree heat index sizzling Faurot Field on Saturday morning, there were some notable developments:

• Senior tailback Derrick Washington looked as explosive as he ever has with 133 yards on seven carries, including two huge gains.
• Junior quarterback Blaine Gabbert was sharp going 18 of 23 for 162 yards and a touchdown. He didn't have any "wow" moments, but consistency is always a good thing.
• Reserve tight end Beau Brinkley had an impressive scrimmage. He had seven catches for 41 yards. But Andrew Jones had two top-flight catches late in the scrimmage. Michael Egnew's performance Saturday solidified his first-team position, but the battle between Brinkley and Jones to be Egnew's backup and possibly the fifth wide receiver could be an interesting storyline.
• Redshirt freshman defensive end Michael Sam put on a show. He recorded five sacks including some impressive plays against the No. 1 offense. Sam feasted on the third and fourth string offensive lines, but didn't lose a step when facing the No.1s. Sam also had a tackle for loss, a forced fumble and a 50 yard fumble recovery for a touchdown.
• Maybe the most exciting play of the day was when backup kicker Trey Barrow nailed a 57-yard field goal. Barrow missed a mid-range field goal short early in practice, and Grant Ressel missed twice on Saturday, so ending special teams practice with an impressive kick from distance salvaged a poor day from the kickers.

The quote of the day came from Gary Pinkel, who said that the players competing in the hot temperatures is like "carrying a sack of potatoes on their back all the time."