Groves, Shoemaker named All-SEC

Auburn senior defensive end Quentin Groves has been named to the All-SEC First Team by the league's coaches, while redshirt freshman punter Ryan Shoemaker was a second-team selection, the league office announced Tuesday.

Groves, a native of Greenville, Miss., finished the regular season with 35 tackles (21 solo, 14 assists) in 10 games played. He had seven tackles for loss including three quarterback sacks, and forced two fumbles. He was named the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week after Auburn's season-opening 23-13 win over Kansas State after collecting two quarterback sacks and forcing a fumble that was returned for a touchdown with just 1:11 remaining, sealing the victory.

Groves shares the Auburn career record with 26 quarterback sacks and has forced eight fumbles during his career. He was also named to the All-SEC First Team last season.

Shoemaker, a Birmingham native, ranks second in the SEC and 16th nationally in punting, averaging 43.2 yards per kick. He has placed 14 punts inside the 20-yard line this season with just one touchback, and has a long punt of 62 yards. He has helped Auburn rank third nationally in net punting, averaging 39.3 net yards per punt.

No. 22 Auburn will play No. 15 Clemson in the 2007 Chick-fil-A Bowl Dec. 31 in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. CT and will air live on ESPN.