Duke's Cutcliffe perplexed by roughing the kicker rule after Louisville loss

After watching a roughing-the-kicker penalty cost his team a chance to upset No. 7 Louisville, a perplexed Duke coach David Cutcliffe called for an examination of the rule and how it's assessed.

"I'm not complaining about the officiating at all. We hit the guy and that's what you do - you call it," Cutcliffe told reporters after the 24-14 loss, according to Jeff Greer of the Courier-Journal.

"I think the rule makers have to look at when a guy leaves a protected area. I thought (Breon Borders') angle was perfection, down in front of where the kicker is. I think the guy was able to take a step and get in harm's way.

"I would like the rule makers to take a look at that, or we're all going to have to stop trying to block an extra point (or field goal), because I had a perfect angle and (Borders) did exactly what he was coached to do. He couldn't have done it any better."

Borders drew the flag for roughing the kicker late in the fourth quarter on what would have gone down as a missed field goal by Louisville.

The penalty gave Louisville 15 yards and an automatic first down. A penalty for simply running into the kicker would've been worth five yards and a replayed fourth down.

If not for the flag, which occurred on fourth-and-22, Duke would've gotten the ball back, trailing by three points with two minutes remaining. Instead, the Cardinals were awarded a fresh set of downs, and they used them to score a touchdown to put the game on ice.

"I didn't see it," Louisville coach Bobby Petrino said of the call after the game. "But we'll take it."

The loss dropped Cutcliffe's squad to 3-4, while Petrino's improved to 5-1.