Kliff Kingsbury and the Red Raiders are 2-0 and heading into their final nonconference matchup with Houston on Saturday. It will also be Texas Tech's first road game of the season. Here are some highlights from Kingsbury's appearance on Monday's Big 12 Coaches Teleconference.

The Red Raiders feel more comfortable closing games

Texas Tech lost multiple close games last season, which helped lead to its final 5-7 record. The Red Raiders were in a 45-45 tie with Arizona State after a holding a halftime lead, but Texas Tech was able to close that game out. Kingsbury attributes that to experience.

"There's a lot of guys back on this roster offensively and defensively that played a lot of snaps last year and went through those games," Kingsbury said. "There's no substitute for experience and experience in that and how to get better the next time. So, hopefully just them being through that one year and it not turning out the way they wanted and all the work they put in hopefully changed that."

Dakota Allen is making an impact

Linebacker Dakota Allen began his career at Texas Tech in 2015 before being dismissed for burglary charges. He found himself at East Mississippi Community College last season as one of the focal points of the Netflix series Last Chance U.

Allen has returned to Texas Tech and is third on the team in tackles, picking up where he left off.

"Dakota's issue was not academic," Kingsbury said. "It was an off-the-field issue and East Mississippi allowed him to go and prove he could handle his business, that he had made just one bad mistake and Texas Tech was willing to give him a second chance and he's made the most of it. He's a tremendous player for us, a tremendous talent. He was voted captain and he'd only been here throughout the summer, just getting back on campus. I think that shows the leadership qualities he has."

A return to Houston

Saturday will be a return to the school where Kingsbury began his coaching career. Kingsbury was Houston's offensive quality control coach from 2008-09, the quarterbacks coach in 2010 and the co-offensive coordinator in 2011.

"A lot of great memories," Kingsbury said. "I have a ton of respect for that university. I owe that university a lot for giving an opportunity to start my career there. I loved my time there. It was the most fun I ever had coaching working with Case Keenum and that group in 2011. So yeah, can't say enough great things about the University, about the people there and about my time at UH."