COLLEGE FOOTBALL : Ward Suffers Rib Injury as Seminoles Roll, 54-0 : ACC: Florida State quarterback expected to be ready for Notre Dame game in two weeks.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. —  Get ready for a few days of ticklish speculation about Charlie Ward’s ribs.

Ward, the favorite to be awarded the Heisman Trophy, was sidelined during top-ranked Florida State’s 54-0 victory Saturday over Wake Forest. He suffered bruised ribs when he was tackled by several defenders as he attempted to scramble at midfield.

His status for next week’s game at Maryland is uncertain, but Ward will be ready for Florida State’s showdown at No. 2 Notre Dame on Nov. 13.

Ward, as usual, was unfazed.

“Right now, I’m expecting to play,” he said. “If I can’t, I have a lot of confidence in my backups against Maryland.

“I’ve got two weeks to get ready for Notre Dame.”

Until then, however, Ward’s ribs will be the top concern for the Seminoles (8-0, 6-0 Atlantic Coast Conference). Wake Forest is 2-5, 1-4.

After Ward went out with the score 34-0, sophomore Jon Stark finished up. He passed for 108 yards and a touchdown, but had two passes intercepted--one more than Ward has in 241 passes.

The Seminoles tied a school record with their fourth shutout. Florida State has given up only 38 points.

“The one thing that keeps jumping out at me about this season is those zeros on the scoreboard,” Coach Bobby Bowden said. “When you shut people out, you ain’t going to lose.”