CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Ken Lucas and Julius Peppers pushed through the line, grasping at air in an effort to block a Dallas field-goal attempt.

Lucas was positive his left middle finger touched the ball right before he and Peppers crashed into kicker Billy Cundiff. The deflection changed the trajectory, caused Cundiff to miss and locked up a postseason berth for the Carolina Panthers.

The officials said otherwise.

Peppers was called for roughing the kicker, giving the Cowboys a second chance to keep their fading playoff hopes alive.

Terry Glenn seized the opportunity by catching a 2-yard touchdown pass with 24 seconds to play yesterday to lift Dallas to a 24-20 victory that ruined Carolina's chance to clinch a playoff berth.

"Definitely I touched the ball, both me and God know it but I guess it wasn't enough to turn the play over," Lucas fumed. "Besides that, that wasn't roughing the kicker. Me and Pep landed on the ground and the kicker just fell over us."

Cundiff, who had a first-half attempt blocked by Peppers, believed he was roughed.

"There was one guy down at my feet and another guy was right there where my leg was up in the air, so I had nowhere to go and the guy grazed me," Cundiff said. "I was hit."

Either way, it was the second chance Dallas (9-6) needed.

After two running plays, Drew Bledsoe found Glenn in the corner of the end zone for the winning score. It was a terrific bounceback for Dallas, which was humiliated 35-7 in Washington last week, and kept the Cowboys in contention for one of the NFC's wild-card spots.

"I think this team has a little spunk to it, I really do," coach Bill Parcells said. "I know we've had some ups and downs, but I like them. I do."

The Panthers (10-5) now find themselves in a logjam for the NFC South title. They entered the game one game up on Tampa Bay, but ended the day with the Buccaneers atop the division after Tampa's overtime win over Atlanta.

It capped off a frustrating day of undisciplined football that saw Carolina star receiver Steve Smith ejected in the third quarter for grabbing an official and an unusually poor defensive effort from the Panthers.

"The Cowboys kicked our butt," linebacker Brandon Short said. "They executed better than we did. I never would have expected it."

Julius Jones ran for a season-high 194 yards and two touchdowns as the Cowboys became the first team in 10 games to gain more than 300 yards total offense against Carolina. Glenn finished with 88 yards on four catches. He made the winning catch with one hand after dislocating his thumb earlier in the game.