OSU's Reid wants to win for family, team

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) _ Oklahoma State quarterback Bobby Reid is used to having his parents in the crowd when he plays football. <br/><br/>This week, he'll be able to bring the game to them. Oklahoma

Wednesday, September 20th 2006, 1:23 pm

By: News On 6

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) _ Oklahoma State quarterback Bobby Reid is used to having his parents in the crowd when he plays football.

This week, he'll be able to bring the game to them. Oklahoma State plays at Houston, Reid's hometown, on Saturday in one of only three meetings between undefeated teams this weekend in college football.

``My family is always at the game, whether it's my mom, my dad, whoever,'' Reid said. ``There's going to be a larger piece of my family now. I'll just try to give them a good show.''

Reid won the Texas Class 5A state title in 2003 with North Shore High School before coming to Oklahoma State. About the closest Reid came to playing at home with the Cowboys was last year's game at Texas A&M, but Reid missed that game _ a 62-23 loss _ with an injury.

``This is my first time really playing back home,'' Reid said. ``I'm just going to take it in stride, just try to control my emotions, go out and play ball.''

He admits he feels some pressure, partly because of his circumstances and partly because he's trying to make sure that his team is the one that emerges 4-0.

``Everybody's been talking about it, me going home. I've got to put on a show for my city and stuff like that,'' Reid said. ``I understand all that, but I do understand this is my team and I have to perform for them.''

The Cowboys have 22 Houston-area players on their roster, including Reid and fellow starters Andre Sexton at safety and Rodrick Johnson at linebacker. Backup tailback Keith Toston, third receiver Ricky Price and defensive end Marque Fountain are also among the Houston-area natives.

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy believes those connections may create a certain comfort level for his team, but he can't be sure.

``I try to gauge stuff like that and I never have any success at that,'' Gundy said. ``I try to think, 'Boy, I wonder if this is going to work for us or against us' and usually I'm wrong.''

Regardless, Oklahoma State players won't have much free time before the game. The Cowboys keep a tight travel schedule, minimizing distractions by keeping players busy with meetings, walkthroughs and other game preparations. Offensive coordinator Larry Fedora called the arrangement ``pretty secluded.''

Only after the game will Cowboys players have a chance to really visit with their families.

``They've still got to go out there and perform _ whether you're doing it in your hometown or wherever it is. If you are more concerned about that and all the things that happen around the game, then you're probably not going to perform very well in the game,'' Fedora said.

Gundy hopes that isn't a problem.

``I would like to think at this point that once you get to this level and you've had a few games under your belt that you're not concerned about trying to impress somebody in the hometown crowd,'' he said.

Reid admitted it's important to him to win in front of his family, but he said it's just as important to win for his team.

``I'm really excited, but it's a business trip,'' Reid said. ``That's my main focus right now.''