No matter how you define it, Georgia's offense has started slow the last two weeks.

The Bulldogs have gotten off to sluggish starts against both Missouri and Auburn, with the former putting the team in a double-digit hole. Second halves have been a different story, with Georgia finishing strong.

So how do the Bulldogs put a full 60 minutes together, like they did in the season opener against Oregon? They're working to solve that riddle as the SEC gauntlet heats up.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said he didn't notice any overlapping themes in the two slow starts, other than some missed opportunities.

"There's an opportunity to grow and get better each day at practice, and our guys have kind of adopted the mentality that they're going to do that each and every day," Smart said. "I think when you play in the SEC, you play against really good quality defenses. And usually at the start of the game, they're at their best.”

Still, it's hard to ignore the struggles of the Bulldogs early in the last two games.

Georgia produced six points and 182 yards in the opening 30 minutes against Missouri. This past Saturday against Auburn, the Bulldogs mustered 143 first half yards. The team did score 14 points, but those scoring drives were 36 and 31 yards.

"We’ve had two good second halves the past couple games," receiver Ladd McConkey said after the Auburn game. "Something we really need to focus on is starting fast. Really, just kind of translating our adjustments we’re making at halftime, but really just starting fast and not letting plays that we can control mess us up, penalties, stuff like that."

Receiver Jackson Meeks also sees no particular reason for the slow starts. He said the players make sure to just listen to offensive coordinator Todd Monken and fall back on their training, especially when red zone drives bog down.

"Sometimes, you might not get down there and get seven. You might get three," Meeks said. "Those will get points on the board and continue to win. I feel like that’s the best way."

But second halves have been much better the past two weeks.

The second half in Missouri produced 20 points. Georgia then scored 28 points in the final 30 minutes against Auburn.

"Maybe they were tired from the striking attack of the 290 (rushing) yards that had been gained and they weren't quite rushing as fast and they weren't getting back there as fast," Smart said of the Auburn game. "To be honest with you, when you run the ball better, guess what you also normally do? Throw the ball better. So on the drives that we ran the ball well, we threw the ball well. On the drives that we didn't run it well, we usually didn't throw it well because it brought up third and long."

Georgia has been able to overcome stagnant first halves against lesser opponents. But as the meat of the SEC schedule approaches, the Bulldogs will have to come out of the gates stronger in order to avoid more early deficits.