(STATS) -- A safety, a couple field goals, some explosive plays on offense, numerous key defensive plays and a big advantage in time of possession. It sure sounds like a typical win for North Dakota States FCS dynasty.But it didnt amount to being quite that Saturday as the top-seeded Bison advanced in the FCS playoffs with a 36-10 quarterfinal-round triumph against a rival South Dakota State squad that handed them their only loss in the regular season.NDSU (12-1) had to overcome its first double-digit deficit of the season to overpower the eighth-seeded co-champion from the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Bison are two wins away from extending their record run of five straight FCS national championships, but the semifinals figure to be tough as well when they host No. 4 seed James Madison (12-1) at the Fargodome Friday night.In the only previous meeting, NDSU beat James Madison 26-14 in the second round of the 2011 playoffs -- the first win in the Bisons run of FCS championship seasons.Year in and year out, this football team continues to get better, and thats the thing Im most excited about as a coach, NDSUs Chris Klieman said. We do continue to improve. We dont really plateau in the season. We continue to gain momentum.It helps that NDSU has never lost at home in the FCS playoffs -- an 18-0 mark this decade -- because SDSU won 19-17 with a last-second touchdown at the Fargodome on Oct. 15.The visiting Jackrabbits (9-4) jumped to a 10-0 lead Saturday by scoring on their first two possessions, but NDSU eventually settled into its usual style of physical domination. Sophomore quarterback Easton Stick ran for two touchdowns and threw for one and the Bison rushed for 302 yards while controlling the ball for 40 minutes, 55 seconds. It included a second-quarter touchdown drive that lasted 12:09.It was vital that NDSU kept SDSUs potent offense on the sideline. Quarterback Taryn Christion had 444 yards of total offense in the Jackrabbits regular season win, but he gained only 139 Saturday.We played the way we had to play, owning the time of possession and limiting their plays and keeping a really good offense down to under four plays, Klieman said. That was the formula for our success.No possession epitomized the game, if not the Bison season, like their vintage touchdown drive that provided their first lead of the game. The Bison held the ball for 20 plays while going 82 yards before Stick scored on a 3-yard run to make it 14-10 with 1:48 left in the first half. SDSUs gassed defense bit on a faked handoff and Stick rolled right on a bootleg to the front corner of the end zone.Their best defense was their offense, Jackrabbits coach John Stiegelmeier said.NDSUs lead stayed that way into the third quarter and SDSU safety Nick Farina intercepted Stick at the Jackrabbits 1-yard line. But that staved off a score only momentarily as on the second play of the Jackrabbits ensuing drive, Bison defensive tackle Grant Morgan tackled running back Brady Mengarelli in his end zone for a safety, which extended the lead to 16-10 with 9:13 remaining in the quarter.The Bison got the ball right back and Cam Pederson kicked a 35-yard field goal at the 5:27 mark to put them ahead 19-10. He added a 45-yard field goal before the third quarter was over.In the fourth, Stick ended a 90-yard drive with a 14-yard run and he later connected with wide receiver Darrius Shepherd for a screen pass that resulted in a 67-yard touchdown pass.Stick completed 12 of 21 attempts for 188 yards, rushing for 83 yards on 16 carries. King Frazier carried the ball 15 times for 101 yards and Lance Dunn finished with 13 carries for 91 yards, including a 49-yard first-quarter touchdown to pull the Bison within 10-7.Im not a big fan of SDSU at all. Im pretty sure my brothers arent, either, Frazier said. I just felt like we came out with a chip on our shoulder with something to prove. That first game isnt really how we shouldve performed. And we came out and did our thing today.SDSU, which has never had a 10-win season, got everybodys attention with its 10-0 lead. The Jackrabbits capped the games opening drive with one of the more unique touchdowns of the college football season. Coming out of a timeout, they lined up in a deceptive formation of upright linemen, and a squatting Mengarelli took the handoff down low and emerged untouched for a 5-yard run.Linebacker Christian Rozeboom collected a game-high 12 tackles for the Jackrabbits. For NDSU, Greg Menard (sack) and Robbie Grimsley were in on five tackles each and Tre Dempsey had his Missouri Valley-leading sixth interception of the season. Cheap Ducks Jerseys . Wilson hit Schenn from behind during Tuesday nights game in Philadelphia, earning a five-minute major for charging and a game misconduct. He has a phone hearing with the department of player safety, which limits any potential suspension to five or fewer games. Wholesale Custom Ducks Shirts . On Mar. 16, coming off a "fight of the year" performance at UFC 154 the previous November, St-Pierre faced Nick Diaz at UFC 158 in what would be his eighth defence of the welterweight title. Using his superior athleticism, St-Pierre cruised to a five round, unanimous decision victory setting up a much-anticipated title defence against number one contender Johny Hendricks. http://www.customducksjersey.com/ . The veteran safety was a starter for the Bengals from 2008-2012. He totaled 41 tackles and three interceptions while starting all but four of the 13 games he played last season. Teemu Selanne Jersey Large . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. Custom Teemu Selanne Jersey . -- Anaheim Ducks defenceman Luca Sbisa will be out at least six weeks with a torn tendon in his right hand. METAIRIE, La. -- Help has arrived for the New Orleans Saints 31st-ranked defense.First-round draft pick Sheldon Rankins returned to practice Wednesday and has been designated as the Saints one player to return from injured reserve this season.The rookie defensive tackle was placed on IR in Week 1 after he suffered a broken left fibula during training camp. Wednesday was the first day he was eligible to return under NFL rules. The earliest Rankins can return to a game is Week 9 at the San Francisco 49ers.Rankins said he went through a few individual drills as he slowly increases his workload. And he said he thinks a Week 9 return to game action is realistic.Barring any setbacks, I think were on schedule for that time frame. But Im gonna take it day by day and let God handle the rest, Rankins said.Rankins admitted there would be some rust but said he began running a few weeks ago and that his weight is right where he feels most comfortable at 305 pounds.I think a couple weeks [of practicing before playing] is fine, Rankins said. I think in a sense as a football player, youve been doing it for so long you kind of have some semblance of what youre doing out there. But timing is everything. When Im rushing the passer, when I throw my hands or when I take this step to come inside and different things like that. And conditioning -- being able to run to the ball, play hhard, things like that.ddddddddddddI think those are the real things these few weeks are gonna allow me to do and be a big help for me.Rankins described the past two weeks as quiet and said it felt great to be around his teammates, cutting up and laughing on the practice field. He said it also felt great to do things like diving into a tackling dummy.Yeah, I definitely was kind of anxious to go through that, Rankins said. Little things like tackling drills and hitting sleds and football movements was fun for me today, just to see how my body would react to it, how my leg would react to it. It was good for me.The Saints (2-3) could use Rankins. The defense ranks 31st in the NFL with 419.4 yards allowed per game. And they have allowed the most points in the league at 33.6 per game.The 6-foot-2, 305-pound Rankins is a disruptive force up the middle who should help both the pass rush and the run defense. Rankins had 14 sacks and 26.5 tackles for loss over his final two years at Louisville before New Orleans drafted him with the No. 12 pick.The Saints also are hoping to get No. 1 cornerback Delvin Breaux back soon from his own broken left fibula that he suffered in Week 1. Its not clear yet whether Breaux will resume practicing this week. ' ' '