LJWorld.com

STILLWATER, OKLA. — Jamie Thompson wouldn't equate finishing his Oklahoma State career with today's game at Oklahoma with playing in a bowl, but it'll still be something special.

"Every time you play Oklahoma, it's just gonna be exciting," said Thompson, a senior safety. "I don't know about a bowl game, but it'd be exciting just to go out our last game and get the win. Hopefully, that's what we do and give it our all. It's our last game."

Nine starters will be playing in their final game for Oklahoma State (4-6 overall, 1-6 Big 12 Conference), which was eliminated from bowl contention with a 44-34 loss Saturday at Baylor.

After three straight bowl trips, the Cowboys will be concluding their season against Oklahoma (6-4, 5-2) for the first time since 2001 -- when they upset the fourth-ranked Sooners, 16-13.

"It's a big motivation," linebacker Paul Duren said. "Everybody wants to win their last game that they play in college."

Coach Mike Gundy said he hoped the emotions of the Bedlam rivalry game would help get the Cowboys motivated to play. Last week at Baylor, the Cowboys fell behind, 38-0, before rallying to within 10 points.

"That's just how the ball bounces sometimes," Thompson said. "Sometimes you just come out slow and you don't play. You've just got to look at it and come back the best way you can. We tried to do all we could in the second half, but their defense stopped us and we just came up a little short.

Donna McWilliam/AP Photo

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy, right, watches Baylor linebacker Colin Allred run back an interception for a touchdown Saturday in Waco, Texas.

"There's no explanation for why we came out flat. It's just a thing that happens sometimes."

Gundy said he thought two early fumbles by tailbacks Mike Hamilton and Julius Crosslin helped flatten the Cowboys' offense, and the lack of an experienced quarterback slowed the team's ability to recover.

Backup Al Pena replaced Bobby Reid at quarterback in the second quarter after Reid had thrown two interceptions in his first eight attempts. Pena finished with 351 yards on 25-for-42 passing with two interceptions.

Gundy said he planned to see how Reid and Pena practiced Tuesday and Wednesday before determining who would start against the Sooners.

"The stage we're at with Bobby right now is he hasn't played as well early as what we thought he would have. That's the truth. That's where we're at with him," Gundy said. "He has a tremendous upside, but does that upside have anything to do with playing in this game Saturday? That's the decision we have to make."

Although he's replaced Reid with Pena in each of the Cowboys' last two games, Gundy said he hadn't lost confidence in Reid, a heralded recruit from Houston who had been regarded as Oklahoma State's quarterback of the future.

However, he isn't sure why Reid isn't performing and is instead throwing balls into the ground or into the hands of defenders.

"I wish I had the answer so I could solve it," Gundy said. "You see a combination of things like that and you have to make a change because we have a responsibility to give our team a chance to win."

Reid, who took a red shirt last season after offseason shoulder surgery, missed three games this season because of a foot injury. That has left Gundy unsure what to think about Reid's development.

"Because he missed all of that, I'm not surprised at this," Gundy said. "If he would've stayed healthy all year, then I would've known by now."

"I would've been able to say we've got to fix this or back something off or you're fine and you're moving on," Gundy added. "I think I would've had all that information."