Panfil's work pays off for Purdue

And he thinks the two are directly related, in that the play of Purdue’s defensive line — it produced five sacks, including two by Panfil — helped free him up.

“You just know that if a guy is doing his job on the opposite side, the (quarterback) is going to get flushed to you somehow maybe,” Panfil said Tuesday, Purdue’s first practice following his two-sack, four-TFL performance in the win over Nevada. “The QB is going to run away from pressure, so you’ve always got to be ready. I know the guys are out there with me right now are doing their jobs and there’s always that possibility of flushing a play my way. It’s reassuring.”

But Panfil was a big part of the defense’s effort. And for him, it feels as though the production has been a long time coming. The senior has long been close, looking like he was inches away from making a play but not quite being able to do so. It was even that way earlier this season, when the 6-foot-5, 270-pounder twice nearly sacked Eastern Kentucky quarterbacks in the end zone. He missed once and was held another.

But Saturday, Panfil finished.

“That was a good sign,” Coach Darrell Hazell said. “… In the past he's run by quarterbacks or slid off the quarterbacks. And this one he had two huge sacks in the game — had a chance for a third one and ran by it — but we need him to play like that for us to be successful.

“He's got all the gifts. He's so fast. He's explosive, he's got a great will, also. Now he's starting to finish a little bit better, so we need him to execute and keep going that direction.”

Perhaps it’ll allow Panfil to ease up on himself, but that is unlikely. One of his own worst critics, Panfil is always evaluating: What went well? What didn’t?

But starting in the spring, when Randy Melvin took over as the defensive line coach, Panfil worked to focus on the details that can lead to results, feeling it could ease his mind. He, and some of the other Boilermakers, worked with sports psychologist Chris Carr, a doctor at St. Vincent Sports Performance, on visualization and relaxation techniques.

Panfil also worked on better using his quickness and athleticism to beat tackles off the edge, rather than getting tied up with them in physical one-on-one battles.

It all showed up Saturday. On his two sacks, Panfil raced around the edge, showing off his relentless pursuit — he’s never lacked for a motor — then got help when quarterback Tyler Stewart got hemmed in on the other side.

It’s that help, in this case by fellow end Gelen Robinson, that Panfil feels appreciative. Robinson did his job, allowing Panfil to do his.

“It just kind of came together,” he said. “Looking back at the film, I really do credit the other guys who I play with up front, the defensive lineman, because guys like Gelen setting the opposite edge and flushing them back toward me. Guys doing their jobs made it easier for all of us to make plays.”

Now, Panfil and the rest of his D-line mates, will have to try to do it again Saturday at Maryland. It might be an extra challenge for Panfil, who is dealing with a shoulder injury suffered in the second half vs. Nevada. He went to the locker room, where he said he was shot up with medicine, before coming back out, missing only a half dozen snaps.

He was in a red (injury) jersey for practice on Tuesday and didn’t participate in team drills, but he says he’ll be OK for the Terrapins.

But Panfil’s already put Saturday’s performance behind — Melvin has a pretty strict, as things generally are with the assistant coach, 24-hour rules — and is ready to go again.

“I go a little bit harder on myself and I wasn’t getting as much production as I would have liked (in other games) and missing things I should have had,” he said. “But woulda, coulda, shoulda, you’ve got to move on. So I’m glad it happened Saturday, but you’ve still got to move on and we’re getting ready to play another great opponent on Saturday.”