
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 22, 1995                   TAG: 9511220077
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RANDY KING
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

TECH HOPES IT WON'T SINK WITHOUT ANCHOR

It appears Virginia Tech will go bowling without its anchor man on the offensive line.

Center Billy Conaty, who has started all 33 games in his college career, will undergo surgery today for a broken bone in his lower right leg.

Barring a quicker-than-expected recovery, the 6-foot-3, 291-pound junior will miss Tech's bowl game.

Conaty, the Hokies' lone first-team offensive pick on The Football News' All-Big East team, was injured on the first play of the second half of Tech's 36-29 victory at Virginia on Saturday.

Junior Tim Wade, usually the Hokies' snapper on punts and field-goal attempts, played the rest of the game against UVa.

The Hokies' No.2 center, 6-foot, 300-pound sophomore John Matesic, has been sidelined for the past couple of months by a knee injury, but should be ready by the bowl game.

by CNB