COLLEGE FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE NATION : Graber Is Fired by Rutgers After Another Losing Season

Doug Graber has been fired after six seasons as coach at Rutgers, where he compiled a 29-36-1 record, including a 4-7 mark this season. Since he became coach in 1990, Graber was instrumental in gaining Rutgers’ entry into the Big East Conference and getting a new stadium built on campus.

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USC wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson and Arizona defensive end Tedy Bruschi were named as Pacific 10 offensive and defensive players of the year. . . . Ohio State tailback Eddie George has won the Walter Camp Football Foundation’s player of the year award, as voted by Division I-A coaches and sports information directors. George rushed 303 times for 1,826 yards and 23 touchdowns. . . . Air Force, 8-4 overall and 6-2 in the Western Athletic Conference, has accepted an invitation to the Dec. 27 Copper Bowl in Tucson, where it will play Texas Tech, 8-3 overall and 5-2 in the Southwest Conference. . . . Mississippi State’s investigation into allegations of NCAA rules violations revealed there were some problems in the school’s football program, according to part of its official response made public Monday. The twice-delayed response is one of the last steps before the school appears before the NCAA infractions committee in February.