Keith Carter

UCLA will put a special emphasis on its punt team this week after Oklahoma's Antonio Perkins returned seven punts for an NCAA-record 277 yards and three touchdowns against the Bruins on Saturday. "There's a lot we can change," Coach Karl Dorrell said. "We tried two directional punts and didn't get the job done. Our errors were small, but they were critical.... We could use some starters and key backups on the punt team.

UC Irvine staggered into the Midwest this weekend and happened upon a basketball team that should have been in greater disarray, playing without its top scorer and top rebounder. But neither the Anteaters' good fortune nor others' misfortune could help Irvine Sunday in a 99-94 loss to Loyola of Chicago before 1,218 at the International Amphitheatre.

The City Council this week delayed action on a controversial measure that would restrict parking for large vehicles on city streets, deciding to send the proposal back to the Traffic Commission for further review. It is the second time the Traffic Commission has been charged with ironing out the thorny issue of whether owners of recreational vehicles should be allowed to park in residential neighborhoods.

Here's the rundown on guests and topics for the weekend's public-affairs programs: Today "John McLaughlin's One on One": Iraq, 1:30 p.m. (28). "Evans & Novak": Radio commentator Rush Limbaugh, 2:30 p.m.; repeats Sunday, 7 a.m. CNN. "Inside Politics Weekend": Jack Kemp, 3:30 p.m.; repeats midnight, CNN. "Capital Gang Saturday": Pat Buchanan, 4 and 10:30 p.m. CNN. "Larry King Weekend": Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo, 6 and 11 p.m. CNN.

An apartment security guard police had cited for slapping a 2-year-old boy was shot to death later that night after arguing with the boy's father, authorities said. San Diego police found Laupele Tuiloma, 24, at 9:30 p.m. Thursday with two bullet wounds in his back, police said. He was lying in the courtyard of the Kingston Estate apartments in the 200 block of Ozark Street, police spokesman Dave Cohen said. Tuiloma was taken to Mercy Hospital, where he died at 10:38 p.m., authorities said.

Navigating their baby stroller through the throngs Saturday, Strawberry Festival rookies Carol and Keith Carter rolled their eyes in disbelief. * "It's just a little crowded," Downey resident Carol Carter said with a laugh while veering out of the path of another stroller on one of the narrow, tent-lined avenues at College Park in Oxnard.

Winless San Diego State might suffer another loss--even before Saturday's game against UCLA begins. Attendance could be far less than anticipated. Aztec officials raised ticket prices and produced 50,000 Marshall Faulk bobbleheads for the game at Qualcomm Stadium, believing it would be the biggest revenue-producer of the season. However, ESPN2 exercised its right to move the starting time from 6 p.m. to 11 a.m. Rather than drawing a crowd of 45,000, San Diego State is hoping to reach 30,000.

One by one, Mateen Cleaves heard about the upsets: Utah, Cincinnati, Miami. Then he'd look up at the scoreboard and see his own Michigan State team threatening to become an upset victim. Finally, Cleaves decided enough was enough--scoring seven points and getting two assists during a late 13-0 run on Sunday that lifted No. 1-seeded Michigan State past feisty No. 9-seeded Mississippi, 74-66, in the second round of the Midwest Regional.

Despite the absence of starting linebackers Spencer Havner, Justin London and Wesley Walker, who are recovering from off-season surgeries, UCLA's defense has been impressive over the first half of spring practice. Leading the resurgence has been the defensive front, which had problems because of injuries and struggled with consistency last season.