PISCATAWAY, N.J. – For the second-straight year, Rutgers football linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi earned a spot on the Butkus Award semifinalist list of 16 released Monday by the Butkus Foundation. The award is presented annually to the nation's best linebacker.
 
Always around the ball, Fatukasi ranks 10^th nationally and third in the Big Ten with 9.9 tackles per game. That includes at least eight stops in all eight games with a high of 13 two times, at Syracuse and at Northwestern. He is up to 11 tackles-for-loss, including four with a safety in the season opener versus Temple.
 
The team captain has added two forced fumbles and two pass breakups. For his career, Fatukasi is at 292 tackles, needing eight more to become the 12^th player in program history to reach 300.
 
The semifinalist list for the Butkus Award, which contains three from the Big Ten, will be narrowed to finalists on Nov. 22.
 
Rutgers (4-4) returns home to host Wisconsin (5-3) on Saturday at SHI Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network and the RWJBarnabas Health Rutgers Sports Network. The game is presented by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. Tickets are available at ScarletKnights.com.


 
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