Roughly 10 hours before the Buccaneers' exhibition debut Saturday night, the Bulls will open the Morsani Complex to the public for a de facto dress rehearsal of their own.
An extended full-pads scrimmage, likely to pit the first-team offense against the starting defense for several possessions, will consume most of Saturday's workout that begins at 9:40 a.m. It is expected to be the last preseason practice open to the public.
Competition for starting jobs remains fierce at most positions, most notably quarterback, the receiver rotation, weakside linebacker, the hybrid linebacker/rush end spot and some secondary positions.
"Coach (Willie Taggart) says (today) is a big day," said returning 1,000-yard rusher Marlon Mack, whose spot atop the tailback depth chart appears solid.