The list of people to blame is long, but I think you also have to kind of tip your hat to our former kicker too, as nauseating as it is. Guy made a 52 yarder to beat us for the first time in 7 years.
As for Gaffney v. Thomas, improper execution happens all the time. It sucks, but it's part of the game. Mental errors are another category, so Thomas is my goat. I can't agree it was ticky tack. He went headhunting after the play. The coaching staff's indecision and management were also a problem -- the challenge was classic hubris and way too cute by half. Still, it's hard to get too down on the coaches, because they also put a brilliant game plan in that almost got it done.
Just a comedy of errors, and the bad luck that our success in prior years makes it so this freaking game is always on the road. The solace is that we rarely if ever play well enough to win but lose due to mental mistakes. It's bound to happen once in a while. Hope we got it out of our system. The good news is that there is much to be encouraged about.