IOWA — After an hour-long lightning delay, Iowa quickly took control of a defensive battle and held off Iota for a 27-8 season-opening win Friday night.

Lightning stopped the game just as the second half was about to start.

Two plays into the restart, Iowa quarterback Cole Corbello faked a handoff to senior running back Ronald Young and took off up the middle for a 59-yard score and a 14-0 lead.

“That was a heck of a run to start the half,” Iowa head coach Tommy Johns said. “I thought Cole did a better job in the second half of settling and doing the things he does well.”

It was a big boost for the Yellow Jackets after they were limited to 43 yards in the first half.

Young had a productive second half, running for 132 of his 175 yards on 28 carries. Young scored on a 6-yard run in the second quarter and added a 36 and 1-yard score in the second half. Markel Montgomery set up Young’s second touchdown with an interception.

“How about our offensive line and Ronald Young?” Johns said. “Those guys just competed all night long.

“Ronald is a load. This entire offense did a great job.”

Iowa held Iota to 203 yards of total offense with a huge goal-line stand with a 14-0 lead when Iota got a first-and-goal at the Yellow Jackets’ 4-yard line in the third quarter.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our defense the way they scrapped and fought,” Johns said. “There were some times we bent but didn’t break. We knew they were going to make their plays. They have some good ball players, but we didn’t panic. When it was time to buckle down, we buckled down and made some plays.”

Iota’s Jayce Lantier caught five passes for 121 yards, including a 54-yard reception from Bulldogs quarterback Peyton Renfro that cut Iowa’s lead to 20-8 with 7:13 left in the game. Renfro completed 9 of 19 passes for 150 yards.

Defense ruled the first half of the nondistrict game.

Iowa and Iota combined for 74 total yards in the first half and both defenses delivered punishing blows.

Iowa defensive lineman Kyron Labouve knocked the ball loose on Iota’s third play, causing a 19-yard loss. Linebacker Hayden Lebleu dropped Renfro for an 11-yard loss early in the second quarter, and Kyle Arcement and Austen Latour got to Renfro just before halftime.

Iota linebacker Jackson Anton had a sack and a tackle for a loss in the first half.

While the defenses ruled, a special teams mishap led to the lone touchdown of the opening half. A bad snap on an Iota punt gave the Yellow Jackets the ball on the Bulldogs’ 23-yard line, and Young scored on a 6-yard run with 5:40 left in the second quarter.