07/26 at 11:15 PM

Georgia punter Drew Butler defended his position and its subsequent effect on the game with gusto at last week’s SEC Media Days.

Sure, the first punter to represent his team in Media Days history is a little biased, but his coach, Mark Richt, had his back.

“It truly is a third of the game,” Butler said of special teams. “If you can win that aspect, and you can win offense or defense, you have a leg up on the competition.”

OK, so punting is probably one-sixth. And when it’s considered that field-goal kicking puts actual points on the board and can truly decide wins or losses, it might get bumped to one-eighth.

Regardless, it’s still a vital component to the game.

All indications point toward Auburn senior Ryan Shoemaker resuming his role this season as the Tigers’ point man on punts, which means his presence on the roster is as vital as any.

On a team in which the defense is still unproven, every yard is crucial. The difference between a touchback and a ball downed inside the 5 could very well be the difference between a field goal and a touchdown for the other team.

That’s where Shoemaker will score and defend points.

Filling old shoes

Shoemaker was a star in the making after redshirting his first year with the Tigers.

Filling the shoes of Kody Bliss, Shoemaker was named to the All-SEC freshman team after ranking second in the SEC (16th nationally) with a 42.4 yards-per-punt average. Heading into the 2008 season, Shoemaker was a preseason All-SEC selection as just a sophomore.

And then walk-on Clinton Durst beat him out for the job. Twice.

Shoemaker’s one appearance during the past two seasons was forgettable. While Durst nursed a fever during Auburn’s game against LSU in 2008, Shoemaker averaged just 35.4 yards per punt and helped set up a short field late with a poor 25-yarder. That one bad punt ultimately helped LSU win the game.

With Durst gone, Shoemaker was the lone punter on Auburn’s roster during the spring. His coach, special teams coordinator Jay Boulware, was impressed, saying Shoemaker was ready to seize the job.

“He has just been better each and every week,” Boulware said in April. “He’s striking the ball really, really well right now.”

Last season, Auburn won just three games when it had a worse average starting field position than its opponent. Four of its five losses came when it was worse.

The punter isn’t fully responsible for this statistic, but he certainly plays a huge part in its evolution. Just think, a punt that touches down and falls with topspin, tumbling into the end zone for a touchback, can mean a difference of as many as 19 yards of field position.

There’s a fine line, and punters like Shoemaker have to walk it. Yes, the way punts land is sometimes a matter of pure luck. But over the long haul, the good punters have more punts bounce their way than the bad ones.

Moments like the one Shoemaker faced against LSU two years ago can define a punter because it’s a position where anonymity is desired.

Punters who have their names come up after games more often than not are typically infamous, not famous.

Who’s behind him?

The starting job is by no means a lock for Shoemaker, though. It’s his to lose.

When camp opens next week, Steven Clark, one of the nation’s most touted high school punters and a player Boulware personally recruited, will join Shoemaker for what could be a down-to-the-wire competition. Clark looks like a prototypical NFL punter, Boulware said, and he’s obviously respected enough to land a full scholarship.

Boulware said Shoemaker’s intensity amplified when Clark stopped by the Auburn athletic complex for a visit shortly before Signing Day. On top of the big-time experience that Clark simply doesn’t have at this juncture, Shoemaker will have to maintain that focus if he wants to finish his Auburn career away on the field.

“He does have a big leg, and he does have the potential to be a lot better than what he is currently right now,” Boulware said of Clark. “I’m really looking forward to having a chance to coach him.”

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