With a 40-6 lead in the dwindling moments of the fourth quarter, the Ole Miss football win against Wake Forest was not in jeopardy. The streak, though, was on the line.

No. 5 Ole Miss beat Wake Forest 40-6 on Saturday at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Rebels defensive end Suntarine Perkins ensured the score remained unchanged by intercepting a pass with 1:06 left. With the Demon Deacons on Ole Miss' 31-yard line, Perkins caught a broken-up pass intended for Wake Forest receiver Micah Mays.

It was a nice play but hardly consequential to the final score. The interception did, however, ensure the survival of a streak quite important to some Ole Miss defenders. Through three games, the Rebels have not allowed a touchdown. Keeping teams out of the end zone is a matter of pride.

"That's huge," sophomore middle linebacker TJ Dottery said. "It's great momentum for us."

The last time the Rebels surrendered no touchdowns through the first three games of the season was in 1961. Furman, Middle Tennessee and Wake Forest have mustered a combined nine points against Ole Miss, also the Rebels' best opposing points total through three games since 1961.

"That sounds really good, three games without a touchdown at Ole Miss," coach Lane Kiffin said. "We've come a long way over there. A lot of credit to the defensive staff and the collective. We have played really good red zone defense. We kind of bent in the middle some, and then rose to the occasion there."

Wake Forest entered Saturday's game averaging 167 rushing yards per game. Against Ole Miss, the Demon Deacons had five at halftime and finished with 46.

Dottery credited the entire defense with shutting down speedy Wake Forest running back Demond Claiborne. Dottery mentioned one group twice in one sentence.

"Our D-line," Dottery said. "Our D-line, our backers, even our safeties. Everybody coming down, hitting, being physical and always being aligned."

While none of the three levels on the Ole Miss defense has exhibited serious flaws, the defensive line has been an exceptionably ferocious weapon. Ole Miss is averaging 10 tackles for loss through three games, the third-best mark in the nation. The Rebels' 10 sacks are 16th in the country. It has equated to the best scoring defense in the country. Only Ohio State's defense has allowed the same amount of points (nine) through three games.

This is not the same Ole Miss team that lost 52-17 at Georgia last season and was pushed around at the line of scrimmage.

"(The defensive line) is completely different than any time we've been here," Kiffin said. "Obviously, since the Georgia game that was a priority, the lines. I thought that showed up today. We're going to have better opponents, but we've not been like that."

Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@gannett.com or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Why Ole Miss football's touchdown shutout streak matters to the Rebels