Quinn Ewers threw for 176 yards and two touchdowns and No. 3 Texas’ defense clamped down on Arkansas’ final two possessions to help the Longhorns win 20-10 on Saturday.

Ewers’ 1-yard pass to Matthew Golden ended an eight-play, 75-yard drive that provided the Longhorns (9-1, 5-1 SEC, No. 3 CFP) with a two-score lead with 9:05 left. Ewers, who finished 20-of-32 passing, also connected with Golden for the game’s first touchdown.

Ewers entered the game with Heisman Trophy hopes, and though his numbers did not suggest his candidacy getting a boost, he and Texas have bigger goals, coach Steve Sarkisian said.

“When you just don’t have as many opportunities, you’ve got to try to maximize them when you get them,” Sarkisian said. “Him taking care of the football, converting on third downs and what a play ... on fourth down to kind of seal the game. I was proud of him for that.”

Arkansas entered the game ranked fifth in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total offense, averaging 484 yards per game. The Razorbacks punted on six of their first seven possessions and were intercepted on the other and ultimately finished with just 231 yards.

No. 8 Notre Dame 35, Virginia 14 >> Riley Leonard passed for three touchdowns and Notre Dame’s defense forced five turnovers as the No. 8 Fighting Irish beat Virginia.

Leonard was 22 for 33 for 214 yards as Notre Dame (9-1) raced to a 35-0 lead and won its eighth straight game.

Leonard’s TD passes came in the first half. He found Jayden Harrison with an 8-yard strike, Cooper Flanagan with a 2-year flare and hit Mitchell Evans with a 16-yard pass.

Notre Dame forced the five turnovers in the first half and four led to touchdowns.

No. 10 Alabama 52, Mercer 7 >> Jalen Milroe passed for two touchdowns and ran for a third in just over two quarters to help No. 9 Alabama beat FCS team Mercer.

Ryan Williams ran for a 29-yard touchdown and caught a 14-yard score for the Crimson Tide (8-2, No. 9 CFP), who got a reprieve from Southeastern Conference games after re-entering the Top 10 following a dominating win over LSU last week. Now, they’ll go back to focusing on polishing their playoff resume and battling for an SEC title.

No. 13 Boise State 42, San Jose State 21 >> Ashton Jeanty ran for 159 yards and three touchdowns to set a school record for yards rushing in a season, and No. 13 Boise State beat San Jose State for its eighth straight win.

Boise State (9-1, 6-0 Mountain West Conference) can clinch a spot in the Mountain West championship game if UNLV loses to San Diego State later Saturday. The Broncos, whose only loss this season was to top-ranked Oregon, remain on track for a spot in the College Football Playoff if they win the conference title.

Jeanty’s 36-yard touchdown run gave the Broncos their first lead early in the fourth quarter at 28-21. After forcing a punt, Boise State took over with under nine minutes left and drained more than six minutes off the clock before Jeanty capped a 12-play, 89-yard drive with his third score.

No. 14 SMU 38, Boston College 28 >> Kevin Jennings threw for 298 yards and three touchdowns and Brashard Smith ran for 120 yards with a score as SMU beat Boston College, going ahead to stay after the Eagles had opened the second half with a touchdown.

Arizona State 24, No. 16 Kansas State 14 >> Sam Leavitt threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns, Jordyn Tyson had 12 catches for 176 yards and two of the scores, and Arizona State held off No. 16 Kansas State in the Sun Devils’ first trip to their new Big 12 rival.

No. 17 Colorado 49, Utah 24 >> Shedeur Sanders overcame a shaky start to throw three touchdown passes, LaJohntay Wester returned a punt 76 yards for a score and No. 18 Colorado pulled away late to beat Utah.

Winners of four straight, the Buffaloes (8-2, 6-1 Big 12, No. 17 CFP ) remain in the driver’s seat for an appearance in the conference title game and possibly a spot in the College Football Playoff. They’ve doubled their win total from a season ago when they finished 4-8.

Two-way star and Heisman hopeful Travis Hunter stood out in his glittery gold cleats — and with an incredible 28-yard catch between two Utah defenders on fourth-and-8. He also had a 5-yard score with 2:22 remaining on a reverse to seal the win.

On defense, Hunter picked off a pass but also was beaten by receiver Dorian Singer for a 40-yard score. It’s the first TD pass given up by Hunter this season.

Stanford 38, No. 19 Louisville 35 >> Emmet Kenney made a career-long 52-yard field goal as time expired to give Stanford a victory over No. 22 Louisville, ending the Cardinal’s six-game losing streak.

No. 20 Clemson 24, Pittsburgh 20 >> Cade Klubnick sprinted 50 yards for a go-ahead touchdown with 1:16 remaining and No. 17 Clemson fended off Pittsburgh.

No. 21 South Carolina 34, No. 23 Missouri 30 >> LaNorris Sellers threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Raheim Sanders with 15 seconds left and No. 23 South Carolina beat No. 24 Missouri for its third straight victory over a ranked opponent.

Florida 27, No. 22 LSU 16 >> Florida quarterback DJ Lagway’s 36-yard completion to Elijhah Badger was a thing of beauty and arguably the most important play in Florida’s season. It set up Ja’Kobi Jackson’s 1-yard scoring run and put the Gators ahead for good in the fourth quarter against suddenly reeling No. 21 LSU.

Lagway returned after missing most of Florida’s last two games and delivered enough clutch plays for the Gators to earn their first series victory since 2018.

No. 25 Tulane 35, Navy 0 >> Makhi Hughes ran for 82 yards and two touchdowns, and No. 25 Tulane locked up its spot in the American Athletic Conference championship game by romping to a victory over Navy.